Florida inmate who escaped caught ordering sweet tea at restaurant
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Florida correctional inmate who escaped a work site on Monday was captured after he was reportedly spotted ordering sweet tea nearby.
Taylor Fender, 23, walked away from a work crew in Interlachen and bought clothes at a dollar store, according to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office. He was spotted by an "observant" passerby who alerted police.
Fender, who's currently serving a 5-year prison term at the Putnam Corrections Institute in East Palatka, reportedly then made his way over to Poppi's Restaurant, where he ordered a drink of sweet tea — just as a deputy arrived at the restaurant for lunch.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"As the deputy walked into the restaurant, a [be on the look out] with the suspect's description was released by dispatchers. The suspect had ordered and paid for a sweet tea," the sheriff's office said.
Fender was arrested without incident and transported back to the correctional facility. An escape charge against Fender was sent to the state attorney's office.
The sheriff's office joked that Southerners may feel that Fender, who left the restaurant without receiving his order, "committed the bigger crime" by leaving his tea on the counter.