Man accused of diving into East Naples canal to escape traffic stop

Writer: Joey Pellegrino
Published:
Aurelio Reyes

A man was arrested early Wednesday morning after deputies say he bailed from his vehicle and swam across a canal to escape a traffic stop in East Naples.

According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, Aurelio Reyes, 30, was spotted in a Honda pickup truck around 2:15 a.m. He was on Livingston Road near Radio Road, driving at 77 mph in a posted 45 mph zone. When deputies attempted to pull him over, Reyes ignored their lights and sirens and continued to speed.

The pickup stopped, and Reyes ran from the vehicle, heading east on Radio Road near Kings Way. Deputies, assisted by K-9 and aviation units, attempted to locate Reyes.
After an extensive search, the flight crew spotted him swimming in a lake off Foxfire Lane. Deputies met him at the water’s edge and placed him under arrest.

Deputies found cocaine and narcotic paraphernalia in the pickup truck while preparing to tow it, along with several open beer cans in the front seat. Reyes faces charges of fleeing and eluding, resisting arrest, possession of cocaine and possession of narcotic paraphernalia.

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