IMMOKALEE
A man was arrested Tuesday night in Immokalee after deputies say he ran from a traffic stop and had to be found using a drone.
Convicted felon Christopher Martinez, 37, was taken into custody on multiple felony warrants. He also faces charges of resisting arrest and driving on a suspended license stemming from an Oct. 22 incident in Immokalee in which he likewise ran from deputies.
According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy on patrol in Immokalee pulled over a silver GMC Yukon SUV around 10:30 p.m. for a traffic violation in the area of South 5th Street and Palmetto Avenue. As the deputy approached the SUV, the front-seat passenger, who the deputy recognized as Martinez, opened the door and ran.
Deputies deployed a drone to find Martinez, who was soon found hiding in a nearby wooded area. Aviation and K-9 units helped deputies take him into custody.
In the October incident for which Martinez also faces charges, he was behind the wheel of a green Lincoln Navigator SUV that sped past deputies near Eden Avenue and Carson Road. When deputies attempted to pull him over, Martinez bailed from the SUV and took off running, leaving his shoes behind. He ignored deputies’ commands to stop.
Deputies, aviation units and K-9 units searched the area but weren’t able to find Martinez until his Tuesday arrest.
WINK NEWS