WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – A patrol by a Winter Haven police officer early Tuesday morning spiraled from a traffic infraction into a pursuit, a foot chase, and the eventual capture of a man wanted by federal marshals.
The incident began at approximately 2:52 a.m. on January 13, 2026. An officer patrolling 7th Street SW noticed a motorcycle traveling at a high rate of speed. When the officer attempted to close the distance to read the license plate, the rider cut through a business parking lot, maintaining high speed in an apparent attempt to evade law enforcement.
The officer activated emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop for reckless driving, but the rider, identified as 40-year-old Raymond Henry Wood, abandoned the motorcycle and fled on foot.
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According to the arrest report, Wood ran through residential yards near Orrin Avenue SW, jumping fences to shake the pursuing officer. The chase ended at the rear of a residence, where the officer observed Wood on a porch attempting to force his way into an enclosed lanai.
Officers issued verbal commands, and Wood surrendered without further resistance.
The homeowner, who does not know Wood, told police he heard someone trying to enter the residence but believed the intruder was thwarted only because the door was secured.
Upon investigation, police discovered the motorcycle Wood had been riding was reported stolen out of Eagle Lake just a day earlier, on January 12. The theft had been filed with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
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A background check revealed Wood was already wanted on active warrants. He held an arrest warrant from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for Domestic Violence with Prior Convictions and a federal warrant from the U.S. Marshals Service for Violation of Probation. Additionally, Wood held no valid Florida driver’s license; his Delaware license was currently suspended.
Wood was booked into the Polk County Jail facing a long list of new charges, including:
- Unarmed Burglary of an Occupied Dwelling (Second-degree felony)
- Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle (Third-degree felony)
- Resisting an Officer without Violence (First-degree misdemeanor)
- Operating a Motorcycle without a License (Second-degree misdemeanor)
- Driving While License Suspended or Revoked (Second-degree felony)
He was also cited for Reckless Driving and held on the outstanding warrants from other jurisdictions.
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