On December 6, 2022, a city owned Ford F-150 pickup was reported stolen from the city wastewater plant located at 840 Henry Street. Sometime during the night on December 5th someone entered the locked compound and stole the 2011 truck.
On December 21, 2022, officers received information the truck was in the area of Scenic Highway. Officers responded to the area and located the vehicle on South First Street. When a traffic stop was attempted the vehicle fled west on Grove Avenue towards Miami Street then into the Hunt Brothers owned citrus groves to the south. After a brief chase through the groves the vehicle was stopped off of Ray Martin Road where the driver exited and fled on foot. After a brief foot chase, the driver was taken into custody without further incident.
The driver, Christopher Allen Eismon, age 42 of Frostproof, faces numerous criminal charges including vehicle theft, fleeing to elude, resisting an officer, trespass in a citrus grove, driving while license suspended, attaching an unassigned license plate, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Eismon is a career felon with an extensive criminal history including vehicle thefts, burglary, theft, aggravated assault, trespassing and narcotics charges.
If you have any information regarding this case please contactDetective David Arana at the Lake Wales Police Department at 863-678-4223. Or, if you would like to stay anonymous and be eligible for a CASH REWARD through Heartland Crime Stoppers:
• Call 1-800-226 TIPS (8477)
• From your cell phone, dial **TIPS
• Visit the website www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com and click on “Submit A Tip,”
• Or download the free “P3tips” app on your smartphone or tablet.
