Man's Call to Cops Ended in His Own Arrest

A routine call to police about a theft turned out to be anything but typical in Sarasota Wednesday night.

According to the police department, officers responded to the call from 510 Audubon Place just before 11 p.m. When they arrived, they discovered the caller, Johnny J. Rodriguez-Morel, 36, happened to have an outstanding warrant for his arrest related to an assault.

Officers informed Rodriguez-Morel of the warrant, placed him under arrest and cuffed his hands behind his back, the police department stated in an email to meida. Rodriguez-Morel was facing a cruiser as officers searched for any weapons and somehow managed to kick off his sandals and break free from the officer who was holding him, the email said.

Rodriguez-Morel took off, running west on Audubon Place, the email said. He managed to escape from officers by slipping through a break in a fence. His escape, the email said, prompted a search that didn’t end until almost 2:30 a.m. Thursday when he was found hiding in a car.

In addition to that warrant, Rodriguez-Morel now faces resisting a law enforcement officer without violence and escape charges. It is unclear what happened in relation to the initial theft call.

Booking photo courtesy of the Sarasota County Jail