Winter Haven, Fla. (July 10, 2025) – Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd will brief the media this afternoon at 1:00 p.m. at the Sheriff’s Operations Center in Winter Haven to announce the arrests and extraditions of two teenagers involved in a dangerous swatting incident that targeted a Poinciana resident.
The two suspects, ages 15 and 14, were located in Connecticut and New York, respectively, and have been brought back to Polk County to face felony charges. Both are accused of making false emergency reports designed to trigger a heavy law enforcement response, an act known as swatting.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the swatting incidents occurred on June 4 and 5. Detectives worked swiftly to identify those responsible, ultimately filing felony charges against both suspects. Through collaboration with out-of-state authorities, the teens were apprehended and extradited to Florida.
Swatting involves falsely reporting violent crimes such as shootings or hostage situations in order to dispatch armed law enforcement to an unsuspecting address. These acts can put lives at serious risk and often require extensive emergency resources.
Sheriff Judd is expected to detail the timeline of events, the nature of the false reports, and the investigative work that led to the arrests.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office continues to take these threats seriously and warns that such actions will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, even when suspects are minors from other states.
