Grady Judd wipes smile off face of illegal immigrant who attacked federal agent in Lakeland
PCSO: Federal agent attacked by illegal immigrant
An illegal immigrant with several outstanding warrants has been taken into custody after attacking and hospitalizing a federal ICE agent during a traffic stop in Lakeland, according to Polk County?Sheriff Grady Judd. Carla Bayron reports.
LAKELAND, Fla. - An illegal immigrant with several outstanding warrants has been taken into custody after attacking and hospitalizing a federal ICE agent during a traffic stop in Lakeland, according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Judd says one of the responding agents got into a five-minute fight with the suspect, 20-year-old Denis Miranda, before the other agent was able to pepper spray him.
Courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office.
Miranda then took off into the woods, prompting a massive response from the Polk County Sheriff's Office, which included a helicopter, drones and K-9 deputies.
Grady Judd holds press conference after illegal alien attacks federal agent
An illegal alien was taken into custody after attacking a federal agent in Lakeland. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd shares details.
An employee working at a nearby loading dock saw Miranda hiding among some 55-gallon drums and questioned why he was there. Miranda responded by asking the man for a glass of water.
Suspicious of the encounter, the employee went inside, locked the door and called 911.
Shortly after responding to the loading dock, Miranda was spotted and arrested without incident.
Courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office.
Afterward, Miranda is seen smiling in the arrest photo with deputies.
"I bet we have wiped the smile off of his face," Judd said.
The backstory:
Back in 2021, Miranda, who is from Nicaragua, was stopped by border patrol in Chula Vista, California while entering the U.S. He was given a court date and released.
Miranda was arrested again in July 2024 in Galveston, Texas for a DUI and, after being released, he didn’t show up to court.
Courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office.
Judd says that this suspect should have already been in custody.
"Had this guy been dealt with correctly, he had been touched at least two other times when he came into this country illegally and nothing was done, and now he's injured federal agents trying to do their job and take them into custody," Judd said.
Charges
- Battery on a law enforcement officer
- Resisting with violence
- Resisting without violence
- False imprisonment
- Burglary of an occupied structure
Big picture view:
Since Miranda is in the country illegally, each of his charges will be enhanced.
A spokesperson for the sheriff's office told FOX 13 that as of Tuesday morning, there are roughly 100 illegal immigrants on ICE hold at the Polk County Jail.
The Source: Information for this story was gathered from a news conference held by Sheriff Grady Judd.