News and Investigations

A suspect who is in the country illegally from Turkey was arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office after fleeing from a Sheriff's deputy in a Corvette and then concealing himself inside drywall in a motel room.

Click here for Sheriff Judd's comments about this arrest.

On Tuesday, February 3, 2026, Ege Bilgin, DOB 9/18/1992, was driving erratically and without a valid license eastbound on I-4 in northeast Polk County when a deputy sheriff activated his emergency equipment to pull Bilgin over. Initially the white Corvette pulled over on the shoulder of the highway, but when the deputy got out of his patrol car, Bilgin took off in the car. The deputy did not pursue him, but as the deputy exited I-4, a motorist flagged the deputy down and told the deputy that the Corvette exited I-4 and went north on Hwy 27.

The deputy patrolled the area and spotted the Corvette entering the parking lot of the Home Suites motel in Davenport. The deputy confirmed via the tag that this was the same car he had pulled over, and observed Bilgin get out of the driver's seat and retrieve a black backpack. Bilgin then spotted the deputy and took off on foot, running northbound.

The deputy relayed information via his radio regarding the suspect's clothing and direction of travel. Another deputy in the area was flagged down by construction workers who told the deputy that they saw a man running into room 265 of the Stayable Suites in Davenport. Deputies made contact with the occupant of that room, who was contracted to do work inside the room. He told them a man ran into the room and said he was "running from the police" and then barricaded himself in the bathroom. The worker was fixing the plumbing in the bathroom and a large square hole was cut into the wall.

Once deputies entered the bathroom they determined Bilgin was concealing himself deep inside the drywall. He refused multiple commands to exit. Deputies made entry near the approximate area where they could hear Belgin, and used a mirror to locate him hiding behind insulation. After several more ignored commands to surrender, deputies introduced chemical agent. Ultimately, he surrendered and was taken into custody.

Bilgin initially gave deputies his brother's name and date of birth, and said that he ran because he was "nervous." Once deputies determined his true identity they contacted ICE, who confirmed he has a pending removal order from the United States. 

Bilgin has been charged with:
Two counts resisting arrest without violence (F3)
One count burglary of an occupied dwelling (F1)
One count fleeing to elude a law enforcement officer (F2)
One count no valid driver's license (M1)
One count giving false name to law enforcement (F3)


Each of these charges is enhanced by one degree due to the suspect's illegal status and an ICE detainer has been placed on him in the Polk County Jail.

"While it's true this suspect would have been taken into custody for his expired license had he simply pulled over when stopped, he would have only been charged with the one traffic misdemeanor and his removal order would have been served. Now he has five felonies to deal with before he's deported back to Turkey." - Grady Judd, Sheriff