Escaped Florida Inmate's Craving for Sweet Tea Proves to Be His Downfall
An escaped Florida inmate tried to enjoy a sweet taste of freedom before he was recognized by a deputy at a local restaurant.
Taylor Fender, 23, a Florida Department of Corrections inmate, walked away from his work detail Monday morning, according to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office. He stopped to buy new clothes, and then went to Poppi's Restaurant, where he ordered a sweet tea.
Unfortunately for Fender, a sheriff's deputy happened to step into the same restaurant for his own lunch.
“As the deputy walked into the restaurant, a BOLO [be on the look out] with the suspect’s description was released by dispatchers," the sheriff's office wrote on Twitter. "The suspect had ordered and paid for a sweet tea."
Fender, who was serving a five-year term for grand theft of a motor vehicle, was arrested and taken to Putnam Correctional Institute. He now faces an escape charge as well, officials said.
As for the beverage? "The sweet tea was left on the counter of the restaurant," the sheriff's office tweeted.
"For some Southerners, that could be considered the bigger crime."
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