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ISLAMORADA, Fla. - An accused boot thief from Tampa had his escape foiled by deputies when he tried to avoid arrest by traipsing through murky water, hide in mangroves and cling to a pylon in the Florida Keys.
The backstory:
Deputies with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office say Da’Veon Hassan Fleming, 29, of Tampa, stole a pair of boots from a store in Islamorada on Wednesday around 11 a.m.
The sheriff’s office located the suspect’s vehicle near the Snake Creek Bridge and saw Fleming nearby.
However, they said he ran and hid in the mangroves.
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Fleming was then spotted crawling through murky water near Snake Creek.
Da’Veon Hassan Fleming clings to a pylon in Islamorada while trying to escape deputies. Image is courtesy of the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies say they tried unsuccessfully to take Fleming into custody by boat and foot.
Around 6 p.m., Fleming was spotted again. This time, deputies said he ran into the mangroves again and swam to a pylon and held on to it.
According to MCSO, he was taken into custody by a civilian boater.
Fleming was charged with larceny and resisting arrest.
The Florida Highway Patrol also assisted in the incident.
The Source: This story was written with information from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.
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