Sinister underground lair discovered beneath shed during hunt for suspected felon, police say
A suspected criminal in Florida was found by police hiding in an unsuspecting ‘underground lair’ beneath his shed.
On Wednesday, the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office searched 39-year-old Andrew Lazzell’s home in Wakulla Gardens in connection with a series of burglaries and grand thefts in the area.
Lazzell already had two active warrants for his arrest, the WCSO wrote in a statement.
Investigators say they searched the home and found stolen items, methamphetamine and cocaine on the property.
When they took a closer look at Lazzell’s barn, they noticed a “staircase floor” leading to the alleged criminal’s secret hideout. The WCSO said the hole is about six feet deep and four feet wide.
Sheriff Jared Miller wrote: “Mr. Lazzell was removed from the den, arrested and handcuffed.
“During the execution of the search warrant, detectives recovered substantially all of the stolen items from two separate residential burglaries and stolen items from a third major larceny case.”
The “large amount” of methamphetamine found at the scene was “packaged in a manner consistent with the distribution of illegal drugs.”
Andrew Lazzell, 39, was arrested after police found him in a secret lair under his shed
According to the sheriff’s office, the underground shelter is six feet deep and four feet wide
Lazzell was arrested on the two active warrants, but police came up with the additional charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell, possession of cocaine, resisting arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The sheriff’s office said the case is ongoing and Lazzell may face additional charges.
The WCSO told DailyMail.com that the burglaries occurred over the course of several months. Lazzell allegedly broke into two homes out of the three involved.
Police are still investigating to see if others were involved in the robberies that took place in the quiet residential area. Lazzell is being held in the county jail and is not eligible for bond.
Lazzell’s bizarre arrest comes more than a year after a Florida fugitive hid on a couch after running from police for weeks.
Stacy Usher, 39, has faced at least 30 criminal charges and arrests over the years, resulting in her being placed on probation.
Her most recent charge involved the sale of fentanyl for which she was arrested in October 2022.
Officers were looking for Usher for violating her probation when they found her in the bizarre hideout in November 2023.