Guatemalan woman in U.S. illegally arrested after backing into Polk deputy's patrol vehicle: PCSO
Courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office
LAKELAND, Fla. - A Guatemalan woman living in the United States illegally was arrested early Wednesday after she backed her vehicle into a Polk County Sheriff's Office deputy's patrol vehicle during a traffic stop in Lakeland, according to PCSO.
Deputies said the incident happened around 3:15 a.m. at the intersection of Wabash Avenue and Dille Street.
Lakeland traffic stop crash
What we know:
The deputy was walking toward the driver's side window of a 2003 Honda when the vehicle began moving backward, PCSO said. The Honda then crashed into the deputy's patrol vehicle.
The driver was identified as Catarina Andres, 46.
Andres told the deputy she accidentally put the vehicle in neutral instead of park, causing it to roll backward, according to the sheriff's office. The crash caused minimal damage to both vehicles.
License check and ICE detainer
Dig deeper:
During the traffic stop, the deputy learned that Andres did not have a valid driver's license and was in the U.S. illegally, according to PCSO.
Andres was arrested and faces a charge of no valid driver's license, a misdemeanor.
PCSO said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement requested that an ICE detainer be placed on Andres.
Immigration case status
What we don't know:
Authorities have not confirmed how long Andres has lived in the Lakeland area or the exact timeline for potential immigration court proceedings.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Polk County Sheriff's Office.