News and Investigations

News & Investigations

News Releases and Public Information

Welcome to the Polk County Sheriff's Office News Room, where the Public Information Officers (PIO's) post all of the information that they release to the news media. PIO's act as liaisons between news media organizations and the Sheriff's Office. The PIO's routinely release timely and accurate information and Crime Stoppers bulletins, and respond to routine and "breaking news" media inquiries. News releases and Crime Stoppers information can be found on this page.

PCSO's full-time Public Information Officers are Brian Bruchey, Carrie Horstman, and Meghan Petty. The Public Information Officers can be reached by sending an e-mail collectively at PIOs@polksheriff.org.

The recent news releases sent out by the PIOs can be found here, and archived releases (older than 2017) can be found here.

Mar 22, 2025

Mexican national arrested for drugs, trying to bite and kick deputies, and other crimes

Media Contact: Brian Bruchey, PIO

A traffic stop turned violent for detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

At around 6:02 pm, the detectives performed a routine traffic stop on a white Ford Ranger pickup truck on Power Line Road, near Snell Creek Road, in Davenport.

The driver and the occupant of the passenger seat were cooperative during the stop, but the middle seat passenger was not.

Detectives noticed the man had pulled a white baggie from his pocket, and attempted to hide it behind him.

As the detectives reached in to remove him from the vehicle, he attempted to bite one of the detectives, elbowed a detective in the face, and kicked another detective multiple times on her legs.

During the struggle, the suspect put the white baggie into his mouth.

Detectives were able to secure the suspect in handcuffs, and found him to be in possession of cocaine and drug paraphernalia.

The suspect was identified as 60-year old Esteban Fernandez Uriostegui from Mexico.

Prior to going to the Polk County Jail, detectives took Fernandez Uriostegui to a local hospital to be checked-out as a precaution due to the baggie of cocaine that he appeared to have swallowed.

Once Fernandez Uriostegui was cleared, he was taken to the Polk County Jail and charged with: Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer (F3, 3-counts), Resisting and Officer with Violence (F3), Tampering with Evidence (F3), Possession of Cocaine (F3), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (M1).

“This violent suspect is in the United States illegally from Mexico. Because of that, each of his crimes was enhanced by one degree because of his unlawful entry into the U.S.—as a result of a new state law that went into effect last month. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been notified, which means we should be seeing no more criminal behavior (in the U.S., at least) from this particular individual.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff

None of the PCSO detectives were injured during the arrest of Esteban Fernandez Uriostegui.