A suspect who is in the country illegally from Venezuela was arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office after rear ending another vehicle in Davenport and fleeing the county.
Jose Valero-Colina, DOB 12/14/91, has been charged with leaving the scene of a crash (M1). Under Florida law, this charge has been upgraded one level due to his illegal status.
The crash occurred on Friday, January 30, 2026. The victim called 911 and reported that she had been struck from behind while stopped at a stop sign attempting to turn south onto Lake Wilson Road. She told deputies that a silver Kia hit her vehicle, and when she confronted the male driver, he fled southbound on Lake Wilson Road.
Through investigative resources, detectives determined that Valero-Colina lived in Orlando. PCSO requested assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, whose deputies responded to his residence. They made contact with the suspect’s wife, who admitted that Valero-Colina had been involved in a crash and fled because he was nervous. While deputies were still on scene, Valero-Colina arrived in the silver Kia and told them he would return to Polk County to provide details on the crash.
The suspect later met with PCSO deputies and admitted that he struck the victims vehicle after failing to notice she had stopped at the intersection. He also admitted to fleeing the scene out of fear.
In addition to the criminal charge, Valero-Colina was issued two citations – failure to give information at a crash and careless driving. Deputies contacted ICE and confirmed he was in the country illegally. They placed a detainer on him in the jail.
“Our roads are safer when everyone follows the law. Leaving the scene of a crash puts others at risk, and we will always hold offenders accountable.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
