Illegal immigrant accused of hiding in Davenport motel room wall after fleeing from deputies: PCSO

DAVENPORT, Fla. - A man who deputies say is in the United States illegally from Turkey is facing multiple felony charges after he fled from a traffic stop in a Corvette and later hid inside a motel room wall in Davenport, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

The backstory:

On Tuesday, deputies tried to pull over Ege Bilgin, 33, after he was seen driving dangerously eastbound on Interstate 4 in northeast Polk County, PCSO said.

Investigators say that when Bilgin initially pulled over and a deputy got out of their patrol car, Bilgin sped away.

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The deputy did not pursue the chase, but a motorist later flagged him down and said the Corvette got off I-4 and headed north on U.S. 27, according to the sheriff's office.

Deputies later located the vehicle at a Home Suites motel in Davenport, where they say Bilgin got out with a black backpack and ran away after spotting law enforcement.

The sheriff's office says construction workers told deputies in the area they had seen a man run into a room at the nearby Stayable Suites. 

At the motel room, a contractor working inside told deputies a man had darted into the room and said he was "running from the police," before barricading himself in the bathroom. 

Deputies went into the bathroom, which had a visibly large hole in the wall. Deputies say Bilgin was hiding deep inside drywall behind insulation and refused to come out.

After using chemical substances to get Bilgin out of hiding, deputies took Bilgin into custody, PCSO said.

Dig deeper:

Investigators said Bilgin initially gave his brother’s name and date of birth before confirming his actual identity.

ICE later verified Bilgin has a pending removal order from the U.S., and an immigration detainer was placed on him at the Polk County Jail.

Bilgin faces the following charges:

• Resisting arrest without violence (2 counts)
• Burglary of an occupied dwelling 
• Fleeing to elude a law enforcement officer 
• No valid driver’s license 
• Giving a false name to law enforcement 

Each charge was increased by one degree due to his immigration status, according to PCSO.

What they're saying:

"While it's true this suspect would have been taken into custody for his expired license had he simply pulled over when stopped, he would have only been charged with the one traffic misdemeanor and his removal order would have been served," Sheriff Grady Judd said. "Now he has five felonies to deal with before he's deported back to Turkey."