An investigation that began as an alleged domestic dispute on Old Waycross Highway ended up nabbing a fugitive wanted on a warrant out of Florida, according to a sheriff’s office report.
On August 2, 2024, deputies received a call that Lucas Vasquez, 22, of Douglas, had damaged a door inside a home then fled into the woods. There were several trailers in the area that were being worked on; according to the report, officers found Vasquez in one of those trailers.
During the investigation, the victim stated that she had been at Dollar General on August 1 when Vasquez called her. She said he was mad because he couldn’t get into the bathroom and he was going to kick the door down. Officers found a door in the back yard that had a large shoe print on it. The landlord told deputies that Vasquez did not have permission to be in the home, the report states.
Deputies also questioned Vasquez. According to the report, he said that it was the victim who broke the door, not him. He also said that he wasn’t trying to hide from the deputies. Vasquez told officers that people who were working on the house had let him in. The workers, however, said that they never spoke to Vasquez and didn’t know he was inside the home.
As a result, Vasquez was arrested, charged with criminal trespass, and transported to the Coffee County Jail. When he was fingerprinted, jail personnel learned that Lucas Vasquez was actually David Varela. And David Varela was wanted on a warrant out of Florida. In addition to the criminal trespass charge, a fugitive from justice warrant was taken on Varela.