TAVARES, Florida—A man wanted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) was picked up on a federal warrant at a Tavares motel Thursday night.
Timothy Eric “Tater” Evans, 40, was apprehended near La Bella Inn, 101 West Burleigh Boulevard, and multiple agencies assisted around 9 p.m. Thursday. Several witnesses, who asked not to be identified by Inside Lake, said they heard flash bangs and saw a heavy law enforcement presence.
“I heard a huge bang and then I heard a megaphone, but I couldn’t make out the words,” said a witness who lives nearby.
“We assisted ATF, FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) and Mount Dora Police Department in the apprehension of Timothy Evans on an active federal warrant,” TPD Public Information Officer Courtney Sullivan told Inside Lake. TPD also transported Evans to the Lake County Jail, according to a report.
According to an MDPD report, officers from that agency assisted with blocking eastbound traffic on U.S. Highway 441 near the motel and Evans and another male were ordered out of the vehicle they were in and taken into custody without incident. The vehicle was then towed to MDPD for secure storage.
Very limited information is available, due to a sealed indictment from ATF, but according to LCJ online records, where Evans was first held, he is facing a charge of possession of a firearm and ammunition affecting commerce by a convicted felon. He was held at LCJ for a little over eight hours and it is unclear where he is being held now.
The large law enforcement presence in this normally quiet area, located just a few blocks from Lake County Schools district offices, garnered numerous social media posts Thursday night.
Multiple sources, as far back as November 2021, have told Inside Lake Evans is suspected of committing a high-profile crime in the area and more charges may be forthcoming.
