Bartow, Florida – A Polk County jury Thursday found a man guilty of attempted aggravated battery, shooting into an occupied vehicle, criminal mischief and burglary with a battery in a December 2017 incident. According to the original arrest affidavit Mark Jordan Childs, DOB: 04/23/1991 of Winter Haven Florida, assaulted an Auburndale man who was dating his ex-girlfriend. A sentencing hearing will be upcoming in the near future. Childs could face up to 15 years in prison.
According to the original arrest affidavit on 12/16/2017, Childs (defendant) was at an intersection on South Main Street in Auburndale and observed his ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend (victim) in the boyfriends vehicle. Childs and three friends got into his truck and followed the ex-girlfriend, the victim and multiple other people in the victims vehicle. The victim parked at Walker Fence 1028 Highway 92 West in Auburndale. The defendant pulled into the parking lot, got out of his truck, and approached the driver door of the victim. The defendant got into an argument with the victim and punched the victim in his right eye causing lacerations, abrasions, swelling, and bleeding. The defendant punched victim via the open window while the victim was sitting in his driver seat. The victim had 5 passengers riding in his truck at the time the defendant punched him.
The victim started to leave the parking lot by putting his truck in reverse. The defendant broke the side view mirror of victim’s vehicle. As the victim was leaving with his 5 passengers, the defendant went back to his truck, retrieved his handgun from the center console and shot at victims vehicle.
Later a witness in the vehicle with Childs advised Auburndale Police where they could locate the weapon that Childs fired and details of what had occurred. Childs was questioned by deputies and after being read his Miranda Rights he allegedly confessed to the crime. Childs would later plead not guilty to the charges in January of 2018.
