37-year-old Andrew Martinez / PCSO
By Ciara Perez, Senior Multimedia Correspondent
iSkyNews.com (ISN) – Published June 28th, 2026
_____
LAKELAND, Fla. — A wanted man trying to avoid arrest ended up crashing through the ceiling of a Lakeland home Friday afternoon before surrendering moments later after spotting a Polk County Sheriff's Office K-9.
According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the incident occurred at approximately 4:15 p.m. on Friday, June 26, 2026, when deputies went to a residence on Dante Street in Lakeland to serve a felony warrant for 37-year-old Andrew Martinez, who was wanted on a felony retail theft warrant.
Deputies knocked on the front door in an attempt to make contact when the situation took an unexpected turn.
Without warning, a body came crashing through the attic ceiling above the front porch, sending debris flying as Martinez fell to the ground in front of the deputies.
Rather than surrendering, Martinez quickly got to his feet and fled on foot.
Deputies immediately gave chase, including a K-9 handler partnered with K-9 Reno. During the pursuit, the deputy warned Martinez that if he continued running, Reno would be released.
That warning proved effective.
After looking back and seeing the police dog closing in, Martinez reportedly decided not to take his chances. According to the Sheriff's Office, he immediately dropped to the ground and surrendered without further incident.
 |
| 37-year-old Andrew Martinez / PCSO |
Martinez was taken into custody on his outstanding felony warrant. No injuries to deputies or K-9 Reno were reported during the arrest.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office did not release additional information about whether Martinez faces any new charges related to fleeing deputies.
Source: Polk County Sheriff's Office.
_____
iSkyNews.com | Trusted Local Coverage — Safety Creator and Contributing Journalist for Citizen
📲 Join and follow iSkyNews on Citizen: https://go.citizen.com/iskynews
Follow iSkyNews.com for breaking news, public safety updates, and community alerts across Florida and Arizona.
💬 See something we missed? Or have a news tip?
If you spot an error or have additional information, please reach out: support@iskynews.com
© 2026 iSkyNews.com — All rights reserved. Unauthorized use, copying, or redistribution of this content is strictly prohibited.
0 Comments