POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A high-speed pursuit in Polk County took a bizarre turn this week when a man fleeing authorities was discovered wedged deep inside a motel room wall.
Ege Bilgin, a 33-year-old Turkish national in the U.S. illegally, is now facing a string of enhanced felony charges following a sequence of events that Sheriff Grady Judd suggested could have been far less severe had the suspect simply stayed pulled over.
The incident began Tuesday afternoon on I-4 when a deputy spotted a white Corvette driving erratically. While the car initially stopped for the patrol lights, the driver sped off the moment the deputy stepped out of his vehicle. The deputy didn’t engage in a high-speed chase but was soon pointed toward Highway 27 by a helpful motorist who saw the sports car exit the interstate.
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The deputy eventually caught up with the Corvette at the Home Suites motel in Davenport. He watched as the driver, later identified as Bilgin, grabbed a black backpack and bolted on foot. The chase moved to the nearby Stayable Suites, where construction workers alerted deputies that a man had just burst into Room 265.
Inside, a contractor working on the plumbing told officers the intruder claimed he was “running from the police” before barricading himself in the bathroom.
Because of the ongoing renovations, a large section of the bathroom drywall had been cut away to access the pipes. When deputies entered the room, they realized Bilgin had crawled through the opening and was hiding behind the insulation. After he ignored several orders to come out, authorities deployed a chemical agent into the wall space, which finally forced Bilgin to surrender.
Initially, the suspect attempted to give deputies his brother’s identification, later claiming he ran because he was “nervous.” However, a fingerprint check revealed his true identity and an active removal order from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
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“While it’s true this suspect would have been taken into custody for his expired license had he simply pulled over when stopped, he would have only been charged with the one traffic misdemeanor, and his removal order would have been served,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. “Now he has five felonies to deal with before he’s deported back to Turkey.”
Because of his current immigration status, the charges against Bilgin—which include burglary, fleeing to elude, and resisting arrest—have all been enhanced by one degree.
Bilgin remains in the Polk County Jail under an ICE detainer.
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