POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A Fort Meade man learned the hard way that playing hide-and-seek with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office is not a winning game, especially when there’s a warrant out for your arrest.
In the wee hours of Tuesday, October 15th, deputies arrived at a residence on 6th Street NE in search of 41-year-old Alvaro Hernandez, who was wanted in Hardee County. A resident claimed he wasn’t home, but encouraged deputies to “have a look around.” Perhaps she underestimated their dedication to the game.
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Lo and behold, deputies discovered a rug concealing a trap door leading to a crawl space. And who did they find lurking beneath the floorboards? None other than Mr. Hernandez, apparently attempting to become one with the house’s foundation.
Initially, Alvaro refused to emerge, claiming he was “stuck.” One can only imagine the mental gymnastics involved in convincing himself that a grown man could become irretrievably wedged in a crawl space.
However, with a K9 unit on scene (and perhaps the realization that a dog would have no trouble sniffing him out), Alvaro had a change of heart. He surrendered without further incident, proving that sometimes, the best hiding spot is simply facing the music.
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Alvaro was arrested on the outstanding warrant and, for his creative attempt at evasion, earned himself an additional charge of resisting arrest. He was then transported to the “Polk Pokey” – a place where, presumably, trap doors are in short supply.
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