Accused Car Thief Dives In Lake, Gets Caught

HUDSON, FL — An accused car thief who reportedly tried to avoid capture by diving into a lake found himself behind bars Tuesday evening

According to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, the incident began around 4:15 p.m. April 11 when deputies attempted to stop a Polaris in Hudson that had been reported stolen. The man behind the wheel chose not to stop on Hudson Avenue and took off instead, an email from the sheriff’s office said.

Deputies followed and watched as the “suspect eventually broke through a gate in Lakeside and rolled the Polaris on its side,” the email said. The man behind the wheel bailed out at that point and dove into a lake, the agency noted.

With the help of K9 Buster, the man was eventually fished out of the lake and brought into custody.

The suspect has been identified as Stephen Shelhamer, “a prolific offender with numerous pending cases,” the email noted.

No deputies were injured, nor sheriff’s office vehicles damaged during the pursuit. Shelhamer now faces burglary, grand theft auto, felony criminal mischief, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and other charges. A full list of charges and further information about Shelhamer is not yet available. He had not been fully booked into the Land O' Lakes Jail as of Tuesday evening.

No further information is available at this time.

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Photo courtesy of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office