LAKELAND, Fla. – A Lakeland man is back in custody after a Wednesday afternoon theft turned into a foot race with Polk County deputies. The incident began around 2:50 p.m. on May 6th, when authorities were called to a retail location on West Daugherty Road.
According to store representatives, a man walked out of the business with six fishing rods valued at approximately $1,400. While a store employee tried to intervene and stop the man, he managed to flee the premises before police arrived.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies quickly flooded the area and established a perimeter. Local witnesses played a key role in the search, pointing out the direction the suspect had headed.
It didn’t take long for deputies to spot the man, who was still clutching the stolen fishing gear as he ran. Despite verbal commands to stop, the suspect continued to flee on foot, leading to a brief chase through the neighborhood.
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The pursuit ended shortly after when deputies caught up with the man and identified him as 32-year-old Tathan Holt Fields of Lakeland. Upon being handcuffed, Fields reportedly questioned the scale of the police response, asking a deputy, “All this over some fishing poles?”
The six fishing rods were recovered at the scene and returned to the store. Following his arrest, Fields was transported to the Sheriff’s Processing Center, where he was hit with a string of charges.
These include third-degree felony counts of grand theft and possession of methamphetamine, along with misdemeanor charges for possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting a merchant, and resisting without violence.
Records show his prior criminal history includes various arrests for burglary, battery, theft, trespassing, criminal mischief, and weapons-related offenses. He remains in custody following the Wednesday afternoon pursuit.
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