A portion of proceeds will benefit local charities through the City of Winter Haven & Main Street Winter Haven.
4th Annual Food Truck Wars Coming Sept 24th To Winter Haven
ANNETTE BALDREE, RN NAMED EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH AT LAKE WALES MEDICAL CENTER
BALDREE NAMED EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
Lake Wales, FL – Annette Baldree, RN, Infection Control, was named Employee of the Month for July at Lake Wales Medical Center. Baldree, who has worked at the hospital since 2000, was recognized for her proactivity.
“She is proactive in patient safety, providing new product suggestions and samples to staff to promote compliance in minimizing infection rates,” a coworker wrote in nominating her. “She is an advocate to limit patient exposure to potential infections. She is a medical professional who is first and foremost a patient advocate, and has a true passion for providing quality healthcare.”
Polk County Inmate Records Clerk Arrested For Misuse Of Confidential Information
Haines City, Florida – Polk County Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested 22 year old Empris Evans of Haines City for one felony count (F3) of misuse of confidential information (FSS 838.21) late this afternoon. Prior to her arrest she resigned her position as an Inmate Records
Clerk. Had she not resigned she would have been terminated. She was paid an hourly rate of $14.58 and was hired in July of 2014. Evans had no criminal record.
On Friday, August 26, 2016, detectives discovered she texted her boyfriend, 22-year-old Tarance Glanton of Haines City, warning him that the Polk County Sheriff’s Office was conducting a proactive law enforcement initiative that night in the Northeast
area of Polk County (including the Haines City area). Law enforcement initiatives typically involve multiple deputies conducting proactive patrol, warrant and probation checks, and surveillance in areas known for prior illegal drug transaction arrests. Evans
admitted to detectives that she sent the text to Glanton so that he could avoid law enforcement.
Tarance Glanton has been arrested and booked into the Polk County Jail on four occasions for a variety of charges including four felonies and six misdemeanors. The charges include: robbery, possession of cannabis with intent to sell, possession of
drug paraphernalia, possession of cannabis over 20 grams, possession of cannabis, and keeping a vehicle used to sell drugs.
Man Who Beat & Robbed 80 Yr. Old Winter Haven Woman Found Guilty
Winter Haven, Florida – Jury finds Polk County man who beat & robbed elderly woman guilty. On September 16, 2014 Winter Haven Police were called to Elonka’s Fashions located at 130 Plaza Roadway in Winter Haven around 5 p.m. At the time a suspect (later positively identified on video as Perry Chance) entered the business which was currently being worked by 80 year old Carol Sleeth was working. Police say the woman was attacked, beaten & robbed. Chance had dragged her to a back room where he beat her (breaking her neck) and demanded her keys. He then tied the Sleeth up and gagged her.
After a long investigation canvasing other businesses for video and video inside the shop the suspect, Chance, was identified. Below is the details of the case. Chance will be sentenced on September 14, 2016.
Provided By The State Attorney’s Office 10th Judicial Circuit
When Perry Lee Chance walked into the Winter Haven clothing store where 82-year-old Carol Sleeth was working, Sleeth had no way of knowing the same man would return four days later, rob her and beat her.
Chance, 55, faces life in prison after a jury found him guilty Thursday of burglary with an assault, robbery, kidnapping to facilitate a felony, aggravated battery and burglary.
Assistant State Attorney Steven Alamia showed the jury surveillance video of Chance walking into the store Sept. 16, 2014, where he took money out of the register and beat the victim with his fists. Chance tied her up, gagged her and left her in the store while he stole her keys out of her purse and drove off in her car.
In addition to the video, the 911 call was played.
Sleeth called police after she broke free from her bonds and removed the gag from her mouth. She told law enforcement how Chance kept “beating and beating” her and how she was “bleeding all over.”
“There’s really no dispute about what happened – that she was robbed, that she was beat, that she bled a horrific amount,” Alamia told jurors during his closing statement on Thursday. “You could hear on the 911 call how distraught she was.”
Woman Killed In Lake Wales Fire Early Wednesday Morning
Polk County, Florida – On Wednesday Morning Polk County Fire Rescue advised that a woman was killed in a trailer fire and a male victim in the fire was injured. The fire took place around 4 am on Wednesday morning on Lido Avenue, Lake Wales.
The identity of the people is not currently being released. The male victim is being treated at Lake Wales Medical Center.
Currently the Polk County Sheriff’s Office & the state fire marshal’s office is investigating the cause of the fire.
We will update when more details are available.
2 People Killed In 4 Vehicle Crash On S.R. 37 In Polk County
Polk County, Florida – Polk County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide deputies responded to a double fatality during the late afternoon hours on Tuesday, August 30, 2016.
The crash occurred at approximately 5:15 pm on State Road 37 approximately ¼ mile south of Radar Road in Mulberry.
Through the initial investigation, it appears 52-year-olde Terry T. Townsend of Whisper Lake Drive, Winter Haven, lost control of his 2013, black Dodge pick-up truck on the wet road. After losing control the pick-up began to rotate counter-clockwise and entered into the southbound lane of travel.
At the same time, a 2006, white, Chevrolet pick-up, driven by 38-year-old Henry Roque of Adams Road, Fort Meade, was traveling south on SR 37, with his passengers, 20-year-old Elvia Andrea Contreras de dios, of Evergreen Drive, Lake Wales and 45-year-old Josefa Jarquin of Shady Oak Avenue, Lake Wales. The front of Roque’s pickup struck the right front of Townsend’s pickup at an angle as Townsend’s pickup was rotating across the road.
A third vehicle, a 2013, white Honda Civic, driven by 25-year-old Manishkumar R. Patel of Washington, was also southbound on SR 37 and directly behind Roque’s pickup with his passenger 22-year-old Payl Mistry, also of Washington. Patel attempted to avoid the two pickup trucks but was struck and also began to rotate counter-clockwise into the northbound lanes.
A fourth vehicle, a 2007, gold Infinity FX35, driven by 27-year-old Jiles Scott Sullivan of West Wellington Drive, Lakeland was northbound and behind Townsend’s pickup truck and saw it begin to slide prior to the crash. Sullivan slowed and started to pull off the east shoulder when Patel’s Honda crossed into the northbound lanes and struck the driver side of the Infinity. After impact, the Honda spun onto the east shoulder, facing west. Roque’s pickup rotated onto the west shoulder facing north. Patel’s Honda came to final rest on the east shoulder facing west approximately 150 feet south of the initial impact. The infinity slid along the east shoulder and came to final rest facing north.
Roque’s pickup had significant intrusion into the driver’s compartment and Townsend’s pickup had severe damage as well.
Polk County Fire and EMS responded and determined Rogue and one of his passengers, Jarquin, were both deceased. Roque’s other passenger, Contreras de dois, along with Townsend were transported to Lakeland Regional Health as trauma alert patients.
Neither Patel, his passenger Mistry, nor Sullivan had any injuries.
Weather and wet roads combined with speed may have been a factor in this crash. Impairment does not appear to be a factor and distracted driving is being investigated.
Roque was wearing a seat belted, but neither of his passengers, Jarquin or Contreras de dios, appear to have been seat belted.
The airbags in Roque’s pickup did not deploy.
It is unknown at this time if Townsend was seat belted, but the front airbags did deploy. The occupants of the other two vehicles were all seat belted and no airbags deployed.
SR 37 was closed for approximately 5 hours during the course of the investigation. Heavy rains caused some delays in the investigation.
The investigation is ongoing.
Missing & Possibly Endangered Auburndale Woman
Auburbdale, Florida – Auburndale Police are asking for the publics help in finding Charlotte Ann Carty D.O.B. 07-13-1950 was last seen at her residence, on Lake Lena Boulevard in Auburndale on 08-29-2016 at approximately 6:30 p.m. Ms. Carty was last seen wearing black pants, a black shirt and pink shoes.
Ms. Carty should be driving a 2012 blue Ford Escape XLT with a Florida tag of G63 5ER.
Ms. Carty possibly has dementia and may not know where she is or be familiar with her surroundings. If you have seen or know the whereabouts of Ms. Carty please contact the local law enforcement agency or Auburndale Police Detective Ryan Astronskas at 863-585-8830 or 863-965-5555.
PCSO Seeking Info On Armed Robbery Of Winter Haven Circle K On Thursday
The Polk County Sheriffs Office Robbery detectives are seeking information about an armed business robbery that occurred at a Circle K store in Winter Haven.
Around 12:10 a.m. (ten minutes after midnight) on Thursday, August 25, 2016, an unknown Hispanic male suspect went into the store, located at 1108 Spirit Lake Road, and pointed a large knife at the clerks, demanding money from the register.
After obtaining an undisclosed amount of cash, the suspect fled on foot in an unknown direction.
Haines City Auto Zone Worker Charged With Stealing Over $2,500 In Merchandise
Haines City, Florida – The Haines City Police Department were called to the Auto Zone at 35678 US-27, Haines City, Florida on August 16, 2016 regarding an employee theft. Officers spoke with a store representative who alleged that David Dale Murphy 19, of Dundee, Florida stole $2,573.88 worth of merchandise.
Officers contacted Murphy and after reading him his Miranda Rights he allegedly admitted to stealing the merchandise. He allegedly advised that his hours had been cut way down and he needed to make money.
Murphy was arrested and has bonded out ($1,000). He has a court date set for mid-September.
Suspect Steals 500+ Dollars Worth Of Oil From Winter Haven Walmart
A wanna-be oil baron tried to be slick by slipping out the door of a Winter Haven Walmart with over 500 dollars worth of oil just over 2 weeks ago. His lubricious theft was caught on video and the Winter Haven PD are asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspect. Their post on Facebook is posted below.
Do you recognize this guy?
On 8-18-16, the below pictured male entered Walmart at 7450 Cypress Gardens Blvd. and loaded up 20 jugs of oil (to the tune of $553) and proceeded past all registers without any attempt to pay.
If you have information on his identity, please call Detective Mike Roe at 863-401-2256 or call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS(8477). Callers can remain anonymous and could be eligible for a CASH reward.