John Teal, Jr. (PCSO) LAKELAND, Fla. – A Lakeland man's Monday took a turn for the worse when a motorcycle crash landed him in the hospital – and
LAKELAND, Fla. – A Lakeland man’s Monday took a turn for the worse when a motorcycle crash landed him in the hospital – and then in jail.
On Monday, March 3rd, around 6:49 p.m., a Polk County Sheriff’s deputy responded to a call about a man lying in the road on Old Tampa Highway in Lakeland. The deputy found 33-year-old John Teal, Jr. sitting next to a motorcycle, wearing a helmet, and complaining of hand pain.
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Teal claimed he had no memory of where the motorcycle came from or why he was with it. An ambulance transported him to the hospital, where he was treated for a fractured wrist.
However, the situation took a criminal turn when deputies discovered the motorcycle had been reported stolen from St. Petersburg on February 10th. Further investigation revealed that the ignition had been tampered with.
READ: Lakeland Man’s Nap In Auburndale Interrupted By Polk County Deputies, Wakes Up To New Charges
Teal was arrested and taken to the Polk County Jail upon his release from the hospital. He was charged with grand theft, tampering with evidence, and attaching an unassigned tag. This is not Teal’s first encounter with the law; he has prior convictions for motorcycle theft and tampering with evidence.
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