A Lake Wales man who had been on the run since 2023 is now in the Polk County Jail following a traffic stop for broken tail lights. 

At around  8:45 pm on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, a PCSO deputy conducted a traffic stop on a white Ford Ranger in the area of Rifle Range Road and State Road 60, south of Wahneta. 

The driver was identified as 42-year-old Thomas Kenneth James of Lake Wales, and he immediately admitted to the deputy that his license was suspended.

A background inquiry by the deputy revealed that James' license had been suspended since 2008.

It also showed that James had an active Polk County warrant from 2023 for Armed Kidnapping (F1), Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon (F3), Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon (F2), and Felony Battery (F3).

After being taken into custody, Thomas informed the deputy that he was going to flee from the traffic stop, and then he saw a second deputy's patrol vehicle pulling up to the traffic stop and decided to cooperate instead. 

Thomas James was booked-in at the Sheriff's Processing Center on his warrant and additionally charged with Driving While License Suspended/Revoked (M1).