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Suspect hiding in motel wall arrested after fleeing Polk deputy: PCSO

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POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A suspect wanted for removal from the U.S. was found hiding inside a motel wall after fleeing from a Polk County deputy.

Deputies with the Polk County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) say 33-year-old Ege Bilgin was driving a white Corvette erratically without a valid license on I-4 when a sheriff’s deputy attempted a traffic stop. Bilgin briefly pulled over but sped away as the deputy approached.

Witnesses reported seeing the Corvette leave the interstate and head toward a motel in Davenport. Deputies confirmed the car and saw Bilgin, who ran on foot after noticing law enforcement. Construction workers then alerted deputies that Bilgin had entered a room at the Stayable Suites and barricaded himself in the bathroom.

Inside the bathroom, deputies discovered Bilgin, who was concealed deep within the drywall behind insulation, PCSO says. After repeated commands were ignored, a chemical agent was deployed, prompting him to surrender.

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He faces felony charges, including resisting arrest, burglary of an occupied dwelling, and fleeing to elude a law enforcement officer, along with misdemeanor and false identity charges.

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