POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A traffic stop that turned into a pursuit ended with the arrest of a 19-year-old Winter Haven man on Wednesday night. Jeremiah Franklin was arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and faces multiple charges.
At approximately 9:30 p.m., Deputy Sommers observed a 2016 Kia Forte driving without headlights on Recker Highway near K-Ville Avenue (CR 542), west of Winter Haven. When the deputy activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop, the Kia driver instead accelerated and fled.
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The brief pursuit ended when the Kia ran off the road and became stuck in the sand east of Jimmy Lee Road. The driver then fled on foot.
Deputies responding to the area searched for the driver. The suspect approached a woman on her property and refused to leave when asked. After the woman told the suspect she was armed, he left the property.
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Deputies, aided by information from a nearby resident, quickly located the suspect, identified as Jeremiah Franklin, and took him into custody. Franklin confessed to stealing the Kia from a Winter Haven auto mechanic business earlier that evening.
Franklin was transported to the Polk County Jail and charged with grand theft motor vehicle, fleeing to elude, trespassing, and reckless driving. He was also cited for driving without headlights after dark.
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