A man with multiple outstanding warrants was taken into custody Monday evening following a brief chase near Granado’s Produce in Lake Wales.
According to information provided to Lake Wales Daily by Lieutenant Emmanuel Figueroa of the Lake Wales Police Department, the incident began when the warrant suspect fled officers. The individual was apprehended, and authorities confirmed there was no ongoing threat to the public.
The suspect has been identified as David A. Avard. According to Polk County Clerk of Courts records Avard is facing charges including burglary of an occupied structure and two counts of resisting an officer without violence. The charges stem yesterday’s incident.
Additional records indicate Avard has prior arrests, including a 2026 case involving felony petit theft due to prior convictions, thus one of the warrants. In a separate 2025 case, records show he was accused of taking property from a homeless man in the Dundee area. He pled no contest and was found guilty. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail.
Avard’s Polk County Circuit Court first appearance hearing was scheduled for March 31, 2026 at 1pm, with an arraignment set for May 5, 2026, at the Bartow Courthouse.
Initial reports of a large police presence near the business prompted concern from residents in the area. Authorities later clarified the situation was related to the apprehension of the fleeing suspect.
Daily Ridge will continue to follow the case and provide updates as more information becomes available.
