In Florida, being on probation is like walking a tightrope.
One mistake could lead to incarceration.
And this Florida man instantly realized he picked the wrong spot to try and hide from the police.
Being found guilty of committing a crime does not always mean incarceration.
If a judge believes the criminal is not a danger to the public, they will allow them to remain in the community under the strict supervision of a probation officer.
“Community Corrections mission is to protect the community by supervising offenders and reporting non-compliance to the sentencing or releasing authority,” the Florida Department of Corrections reported. “Correctional Probation Officers enforce standard conditions of supervision stipulated by statute, as well as special conditions imposed by the court or sentencing authority, including victim restitution, substance abuse and/or mental health treatment programs, and other sanctions or restrictions.”
There are currently more than 146,000 offenders on probation in Florida.
Michael Allison, 37 years old, was one of those 146,000 offenders in Florida who were on probation.
However, Allison had a tough time sticking to the terms of his probation and violated it by possessing a controlled substance and driving with a suspended license.
Deputies from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office went to arrest Allison, and they saw him enter his home as they pulled up out front.
The officers knocked on the door and the windows and announced themselves to Allison and explained why they were at his home.
But Allison never responded.
He decided to try to hide out in the worst possible place for an August day in Florida.
With its humid subtropical climate, Florida is by far the warmest state in the contiguous United States.
August is Florida’s hottest month.
Allison tried to hide from the police in his attic on August 30, but he only lasted 30 minutes due to the sweltering heat.
“On Friday afternoon, Michael Allison, 37, of Palm Coast thought he could hide from FCSO in his attic,” the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a release. “He was wanted on a felony violation of probation warrant for Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance and Driving with a Suspended License.”
When Allison never responded, the deputies entered the home to search for him.
They soon realized that he was in the attic.
But he came down on his own 30 minutes later due to his suffering from severe dehydration in the hot attic.
The police arrested him and took him to a local hospital for treatment before transferring him to the county jail.
“This guy decided to try and hide in the attic, during a Florida summer,” Flagler County Sheriff Staly said. “If you’re a criminal in Flagler County, there’s nowhere to hide from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.”
“I hope he enjoyed his attic sauna but now he’s in the Green Roof Inn,” Sheriff Staly added. “I commend our deputies for talking him out of a hot attic peacefully before he hurt himself in the heat.”
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
