Jumping Into Fish Tank at Bass Pro Updated

Jumping Into Fish Tank at Bass Pro

The Cape Coral man who said his jump into the freshwater fish tank at the Gulf Coast Boondocks Center Bass Pro Shops in 2020 "just kinda happened" is ready to resolve his legal issues.

Ii bench warrants are active for the abort of Daniel A. Armendariz, 28, who police force enforcement investigators said pigeon into the tank in May.

The Lee County Sheriff'due south Part has been searching for Armendariz on the warrants since he failed to show for court in January and Feb.

Armendariz, who moved to Due north Carolina in February, said he recently returned to Florida.

"I've been out of the county for a little while. I'chiliad in a different canton," he said via phone Tuesday. "I'm working."

Armendariz said he volition be getting with his lawyer, Fort Myers Attorney Spencer Cordell.

"We will take care of these warrants," he said. "We'll probably but go in ... and figure it out from there."

Armendariz confirmed that he was the man who jumped into the tank at the Gulf Declension Bass Pro Store on May 10, swam across the huge tank's expanse, hauled himself out and and then ran dripping out of the shop.

"It was a spur of the moment thing. It only kinda happened," he said. "It simply kind of blew upwardly more than than it should take."

Later on he was identified on a Southwest Florida Criminal offense Stoppers Facebook post equally the man who pigeon into the tank he was charged with trespassing at the sporting goods store.

Armendariz was arrested nearly two months later on the charge after the Sheriff'south Office received a call for service stating Armendariz was on his manner to the Days Inn on Due south Cleveland Avenue threatening to shoot someone.

He was at the motel the morning of July one most a vehicle containing a pump-action shotgun and more 200 rounds of armament and charged with two counts of resisting abort.

A bench warrant was issued in January in the resisting case when Armendariz failed to show for trial earlier Estimate Andrew H. Swett.

More: Alleged Estero Bass Pro fish tank diver charged with resisting arrest, in Lee Canton Jail

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More: Man thought to exist suspect in Estero Bass Pro tank swoop confesses, taunts on social media

The 2d bench warrant was issued in Feb when Armendariz failed to bear witness for a docket sounding in the trespassing instance earlier Lee County Judge Devin South. George.

Cordell said the two cases are on hold right now since his customer missed his court date.

"I have no additional information at this time," Cordell responded in an email.

A Facebook page purported to exist his, indicated he moved to Waxhaw, Northward Carolina, February. one. I of the posts on his page since so fabricated reference to diving into a Bass Pro-type tank.

A man who Lee County Sheriff's Office investigators allege jumped into the native fishes tank at the Bass Pro Shops in Gulf Coast Town Center in 2020 is being sought for not appearing in court on that case and another in January and February.

The extradition on both bench warrants is limited to Florida, meaning unless Armendariz is found in the country and arrested or surrenders voluntarily, he will probable avoid prosecution in either example.

However, Ignacio Armendariz, Armendariz' male parent, said his son recently returned to Florida, simply didn't know where.

In the telephone interview Tuesday, Daniel Armendariz confirmed he had been in Northward Carolina but had returned to Florida recently.

In May Armendariz was allegedly filmed on a cellphone camera shortly before 5 p.m. jumping into the multi-thousand-gallon freshwater fish tank at Bass Pro.

The sheriff's office said witnesses to the swoop told them the suspect jumped into the display, got out and ran away.

A 2020 post on the Facebook group Florida Boyz Hunting and Fishing purportedly from Armendariz and since made private, confessed him to exist the diver and took issue with constabulary enforcement pursuing him in a profanity-laced rant.

"(Expletive expletive) im tired of you looking for me like im some most wanted avoiding, over a little tank dive????? Lol come on now.. Well y'all know what bass pro ive breed fish since I was 9 years onetime you lot tin can kiss my (expletive) nigh the $3000 decontamination (expletive). Yea i (expletive expletive) diving in but who doesnt want to dive in that beautifull tank and who has been blasted this hard and charged with felonies??? Since all you authorities want to blast me similar im some nasty criminal and offering awards well guess what.......... Get to working even more than because I'll turn myself in when I'm prepare, you guys have put me out to be a drug dealing , robbing, agrevated battering criminal, but guess what i vanquish all those charges then thats wrong (curse) . Man it is what it is Smh you guys are pathetic (curse expletive expletive curse expletive)."

A video that accompanied the mail service showed a hand holding a beer and displaying a T-shirt with the Bass Pro Shop logo on the front defaced by a graphic vulgar gesture and a snapshot of the tank dive on the dorsum.

Armendariz was as well cited June 17 by the Lee County Sheriff'due south Part for having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle. He was stopped shortly later on 7:30 p.k. on Marketplace Road in Fort Myers.

Lee County court records show Armendariz has more than two dozen arrests since 2008 on charges including driving without a license, robbery by sudden snatching and aggravated bombardment, possession of four American alligators, sales of synthetic narcotics, fishing for snook out-of-flavor and possession of undersized snook, fishing for stone crab out-of-season, and several instances of angling without a resident license.

The robbery, aggravated battery and narcotic charges were later dropped and Armendariz plead guilty/no competition to charges of possessing alligators and guilty to possessing undersized snook and fishing out-of-flavour.

The four juvenile alligators, institute in a bathtub at Armendariz' Greatcoat Coral home in 2011, were released in a nearby canal past Florida Fish and Wildlife.

Armendariz was also known as a local angler and hunter who ofttimes posted pictures on Facebook of his catches.

Connect with breaking news reporter Michael Braun:MichaelBraunNP (Facebook),@MichaelBraunNP (Twitter) or mbraun@news-press.com.

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