POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A 23-year-old man, already awaiting trial for the fatal shooting of his pregnant girlfriend, is back behind bars after Polk County detectives swarmed an Eagle Lake home on Wednesday.
Jha’Kari Martin-Sugrin was taken into custody just before 11:30 a.m.
While the warrant that brought deputies to the door was for a Fleeing to Elude charge out of Hillsborough County, the sheer number of detectives involved came down to Martin-Sugrin’s violent history.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), the operation was launched after the Lakeland Police Department tipped off detectives about Martin-Sugrin’s location.
Authorities treated the situation with extreme caution because of an incident that occurred last year. In October 2024, Martin-Sugrin was arrested in Leon County following the shooting death of his pregnant girlfriend. The shooting also claimed the life of her unborn child.
He was charged with two counts of Manslaughter and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony in that case. Despite the severity of the charges, he had bonded out of jail and was fitted with an ankle monitor pending trial.
Detectives moved in on the Eagle Lake residence on Wednesday morning and successfully took Martin-Sugrin into custody without incident. He was transported to the Sheriff’s Processing Center.
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