On Wednesday, May 6th, at approximately 2:50 pm, PCSO deputies were requested to respond to West Daugherty Road in Lakeland regarding a retail theft that had just occurred.
A store representative reported that a man had entered the store and stole six fishing rods worth about $1,400. Attempts by an employee to stop the suspect were unsuccessful.
As deputies arrived and set up a perimeter in the area, several witnesses provided tips about the direction of travel by the suspect.
Deputies saw the suspect and yelled for him to stop, but he continued running with the fishing rods still in his grasp.
After a brief foot chase, the suspect was captured and identified as 32-year-old Tathan Holt Fields of Lakeland.
Once in custody, Fields asked a deputy, “All this over some fishing poles?” Which is a common reaction from criminals and others who are soft on crime.
The fishing rods were recovered and returned to the store.
Tathan Fields was taken to the Sheriff’s Processing Center and charged with: Grand Theft (F3), Possession of Methamphetamine (F3), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (M1), Resisting a Merchant (M1), and Resisting without Violence (M1).
Fields has prior arrests that include: several burglary offenses, criminal mischief, trespassing, thefts, battery, and weapon-related offenses.
