We currently monitoring a bad accident on Walk In Water Rd near C.R. 630 E. According to preliminary reports the accident occurred around 8:15 pm. We do not have information on how many vehicles were involved or the number of injured. We do know that multiple ambulances are on scene and two helicopters are currently airlifting patients.
We will update as more information becomes available.
Lake Wales Police Press Release
Lake Wales Police arrested Charles Young Jr., Chief Financial Officer of Florida Development Corporation (FDC) at his home in Hillsborough County Friday morning following a lengthy investigation into alleged financial crimes. He was booked into the Hillsborough County Jail on a warrant for grand theft of more than $100,000 and for obtaining more than $50,000 in property through fraud, both 1st degree felonies. He is currently held without bond while he awaits extradition to Polk County.
Young’s arrest was the result of an investigation that began in November of 2023 when FDC contacted police three months after they terminated his employment and reported they suspected him of theft from the organization. The investigation revealed Young intentionally overpaid himself through payroll from August 2022 through July 2023 to the amount of $32,000. Detectives also found Young had used Florida Development Corporation’s business checking account to pay his personal and business credit card bills to the tune of more than $190,000. Using financial records and working with the chief executive and operating officers of the corporation, detectives determinedthe total amount stolen was nearly a quarter of a million dollars.
During this time, Young was the sole controller of funds for Florida Development Corporation, operated by Frank Cornier, Chief Executive Officer, Derrick Blue, Chief Operating Officer and Charles Young Jr., Chief Financial Officer. Young also worked with Young and Sons Tax and Accounting, LLC., a family owned tax and accounting business in Ybor, Florida when the theft occurred.
Florida Development Corporation specializes in real estate, community and economic development. The organizationopened in 2016 and functions primarily through government funded grants. The City of Lake Wales entered into a partnership with Florida Development Corporation on July 25, 2022 and has granted the organization a total of $900,000 to help local businesses grow and steer small businesses towards success. City leaders are awaiting the findings of a previously requested performance audit to ensure the organization has fulfilled the terms of their agreement.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd shared more information regarding a weekend shooting that left 1 suspect dead & two deputies critically injured.
Here is the original press conference by Sheriff Judd
According to Sheriff Grady Judd on April 27, a deputy encountered a man in a public park after closing time. The deputy approached the man’s vehicle and asked him why he was in the park after closing. He refused to cooperate with the deputy and would not leave the park, Sheriff Grady Judd stated in a news conference “At this point, he’s resisting a law enforcement officer in the performance of their duty,” Judd said. “He’s also violating a county ordinance.”
Deputies try to talk to the man he refused to communicate with them. Two deputies tried to get him to talk to them and eventually get out of the car. At that time the car starts to move and the deputies grabbed for the window. “And all of a sudden he starts shooting”, said Sheriff Judd. The suspect who now has been identified as as 26-year old Kmac El Bey. His California driver’s license showed his birth name as Kyran Caples. The suspect shot critically injuring both deputies.
According to Brian Bruchey, public information officer, with the PCSO the condition of Lt Chad Anderson is critical but stable, and the condition of Deputy Craig Smith is stable.
The incident is still under investigation.
Polk County Press Release
Bartow, Fla. (April 29, 2024) — Starting Wednesday, May1, installation of a water main for a new subdivision and related road reconstruction will close H.L. Smith Road just north of the Lake Mabel Loop Road intersection for 10 weeks. Traffic will be briefly detoured along Lake Swan Road or Lake Mabel Loop Road to Lake Trask Road to bypass work zone. Access to local residences is unaffected. Minor delays are possible, especially during peak-hour traffic along Lake Trask Road at Dundee Ridge Academy during student drop-offs and pickups. Commuters are advised to drive with caution, be alert to detour signs, and to add extra drive time to trips through this area.
For more details, contact Bill Skelton with the Polk County Roads & Drainage Division at (8363) 535-2200.
A Davenport man was involved in two crashes early Saturday morning, April 27, 2024, the second of which was fatal.
Detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit identified the man as 50-year old Edgar Penaloza.
The investigation, which remains ongoing, determined that Mr. Penaloza was involved in a hit-and-run with another vehicle and fled from the scene. A short time later, Mr. Penaloza crashed his black 2005 Toyota Tundra pickup truck in a single-vehicle crash; he died at the scene.
The first crash occurred at around 12:56 A.M., as Penaloza’s Toyota was travelling southbound on North Scenic Hwy near Hickory Hammock Road. The victim of this crash reported that the Toyota was being driven aggressively—tailgating and weaving prior to the Toyota rear-ending the victim’s silver 2020 Honda Civic.
After making contact with the CIVIC and causing it to crash, the Toyota sped away. The driver of the Civic refused medical treatment.
At about 1:03 A.M., The Toyota was found crashed, off the roadway, just south of the intersection of North Scenic Highway and Egg Farm Road in an unincorporated area of Lake Wales.
Based on evidence, PCSO detectives believe Penaloza lost control of the Toyota in a curve and overcorrected. The Toyota overturned multiple times and the bed of the truck became separated from the cab.
Mr. Penaloza was not wearing his seatbelt, and he was ejected from the vehicle.
The two crash scenes were approximately two miles apart.
North Scenic Highway was closed at the fatal crash scene for approximately three hours.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office two deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office were shot after midnight ( 12:22 am) on Saturday April 27th. The shooting occurred while deputies were patrolling Hunt Fountain Park, just off Duff Rd. According to Sheriff Grady Judd, had extra patrols in the North Lakeland area because there has been an increase in burglaries.
Deputies noticed a “suspicious” man sitting in his car after the parks closing hours (a search produced the operating hours between 5am and 10pm. When deputies tried to ask him why he was there and get him out of the car, he started shooting.
Deputy Smith has four gunshot wounds and Deputy Anderson was shot in the arm, and the bullet went into his chest, said Sheriff Judd. Deputy Anderson is in critical but stable condition and Deputy Smith is stable condition in the intensive care unit, said Judd.
The man in the car was a Moorish sovereign citizen and they have the reputation of resisting government, Judd said.
Deputies ended up shooting and killing the man.
“We killed him graveyard dead,” Judd said.
Sheriff Judd advised they were not identifying the suspect as they are still notifying next of kin.
This is a developing story and we will update more details when they are made available.
Bartow, Fla. (April 26, 2024) — Polk County Fire Rescue joins fire departments, organizations and individuals in participating in Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters to honor firefighters who lost their lives. PCFR involvement takes place April 29 through May 5.
All apparatuses in an individual battalion each day will be turning on their emergency lights and sirens for one minute at 8 p.m. starting April 29 with Battalion 1. The Fallen Firefighters’ event culminates May 5, with all 49 PCFR stations lowering their flag to half-staff from 7-8 a.m. and at noon all available units running their emergency lights and sounding their sirens for one minute. The night concludes with Battalion 7’s apparatuses showing of lights and sirens at 8 p.m.
As a department, we will always honor our members who have lost their lives and keep their families in our thoughts and prayers. “Polk County Fire Rescue is humbled to participate in acknowledging fallen fire service members. The activities across the United States demonstrate the unity of the fire service. As a metro-department, we share in the emotions that accompany the loss of members whether in the line-of-duty or otherwise,” said Fire Chief, Hezedean A. Smith, D.M.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office Press Release
A Mexican drug trafficking organization operating in several states, including Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia was disrupted by a multi-agency investigation led by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
The results of the investigation were the arrests of four people, and the seizure of fourteen kilograms of fentanyl. A fifth person is wanted.
“Fentanyl is an enormous threat to Americans today. In addition to the tens of thousands who are killed by fentanyl-related drug overdoses each year, there is also great damage done to families and communities. I am confident that with the arrests and seizures made during this investigation, many lives have been saved in Polk County and beyond, but more work needs to be done at the southern border to cut-off the supply into the United States.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff.
Beginning in August of 2023, members of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force began an investigation of a drug trafficking organization out of Mexico that was specializing in fentanyl.
The HIDTA Task Force received assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, The United States Border Patrol, and the State Attorney’s Office 10th Judicial Circuit.
During the early stages of the investigation, two kilograms of fentanyl were delivered from the trafficker based in Mexico to detectives.
A second delivery was coordinated for an in-person transaction at a motel in Lakeland on April 5, 2024 for one kilogram of fentanyl.
The success of the transaction in Lakeland led to another delivery; the trafficking organization agreed to ship eleven more kilograms of fentanyl to Polk County.
On April 22, 2024, 29-year old Maria Machuca-Alderete, 48-year old Maria Guadalupe-Garcia, 52-year old Sergio Garcia, and 31-year old Pedro Rodriguez-Correa arrived at a pre-determined location in Polk County to deliver the fentanyl, and all four were arrested at that time.
Rodriguez-Correa, the driver for the group, brought a six-year old boy along for the delivery. Florida Department of Children & Families responded to the scene and took custody of the child.
In addition to the evidence, detectives also seized two vehicles used by the drug traffickers, and $5,461.00 in cash.
“Florida law enforcement continues to fight the death and destruction emanating from Biden’s border crisis. The latest, the largest fentanyl bust in Polk County history—enough of this deadly poison to kill seven million Floridians. These interdiction efforts save lives and while we continue to do everything we can here in Florida to stop the opioid crisis, the skyrocketing national overdose death toll will not slow down until Biden stops empowering the Mexican drug cartels and closes the border.” – Ashley Moody, Florida Attorney General
Charges
Maria Machuca-Alderete – Trafficking Fentanyl Over 28 Grams (F1), Maintain Vehicle to Traffic Drugs (F2), Resist Officer with Violence (F3, 4-counts), Battery on Law Enforcement Officer (F3, 4-counts), Unlawful Use 2-way communication device (F3), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (M1). Machuca-Alderete is in the United States illegally, and a Hold has been placed on her for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Maria Guadalupe-Garcia – Trafficking Fentanyl Over 28 Grams (F1), Maintain Vehicle to Traffic Drugs (F2), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (M1).
Sergio Garcia – Trafficking Fentanyl Over 28 Grams (F1), Maintain Vehicle to Traffic Drugs (F2), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (M1).
Pedro Rodriguez-Correa – Trafficking Fentanyl over 28 Grams (F1), Unlawful Use 2-way communication device (F3), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (M1). Rodriguez-Correa is in the United States illegally, and a Hold has been placed on him for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Fifth Suspect Wanted: Trafficking Fentanyl Over 28 Grams (F1), Maintain Vehicle to Traffic Drugs (F2), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (M1).
Notice is hereby given that Lake Wales Storage intends to sell the property described below to enforce a lien under the Florida Self Storage Facility Act, Statutes (section 83.80-83.809). The owner will sell at public auction on or after May. 15th at 10:00 a.m. at storageauctions.com Units belonging to the following:
CUSTOMER NAME:
Patrick Humphrey
Priscilla Marion
Aimee Poirier
Kyle A Miller
This sale will be continued on such succeeding sale days thereafter as may be necessary to be completed. *Unless otherwise noted units contain household items.
Florida Highway Patrol Press Release
On April 25, 2024 @ 11:54 PM
Just before midnight, a Toyota Camry, was spotted by an FHP Trooper traveling westbound on I-4 near the 35 milepost traveling at 102 MPH. The Trooper attempted to overtake the vehicle which then fled at speeds up to 130 MPH.
The vehicle continued westbound until reaching an active construction zone near the 27 milepost (570 Toll Road) where all but the left lane was closed off. The vehicle entered the closed portion of the roadway and collided with two tractor trailers located in the construction zone. Upon impact, the vehicle separated into several pieces and the two male occupants were ejected to the inside shoulder of the highway, both suffering serious injuries.
Finally, a Subaru Outback traveling westbound was struck by portions of the Camry as it passed through the area of collision. The drivers of the two tractor trailers and the Subaru all suffered minor injuries.
Inside the Toyota Camry, Troopers located nearly $5000 in currency and several pounds of marijuana. It remains unclear which of the two men ejected from the Camry was the actual driver as Troopers continue to investigate the incident which closed the westbound lanes of I-4 until 7:30 AM.
Toyota Occupants: Male, 37, Tampa and Male, 30, Port Charlotte
Truck Driver: Male, 62, McGregor, MN
Truck Driver: Male, 48, Auburn, WA
Subaru Driver: Female, 43, Lakeland
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