A suspect who allegedly stole $1,390 in tools from a Home Depot at 15750 SW 88 St. attempted escape by swimming but wound up being rescued by two pursuing officers who jumped in a lake to save him from drowning. Shackled with handcuffs after eluding officers earlier, the individual appeared “clearly in distress” in the middle of the lake off SW 96th Street and Hammocks Boulevard before Lt. Rigoberto Machado and Officer Alexander Esteves shed their uniforms to swim to the rescue. The Mar. 24 incident earned citations as March Officers of the Month for (l-r) Lt. Machado, Sgt. Joseph Zanconato and Officer Esteves from Citizens Advisory Committee chair James Blough at the Mar. 30 CAC meeting in the Miami-Dade Police West District headquarters.
