Man Who Sexually Battered & Impregnated 11 Yr. Old Polk Girl Extradited From Guatemala 

Winter Haven, Florida – Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd will brief the media at 2:00 pm, today, Tuesday, August 30, 2016, at the Sheriff’s Operation Center at 1891 Jim Keene Boulevard, about the extradition of a man who sexually battered and impregnated an 11-year-old Polk County girl.
PCSO Detectives worked with the FBI & US Department of Justice to return 25-year-old Rony Mendez to the USA for prosecution – Mendez was extradited from Guatemala.  
On November 27, 2014, PCSO Special Victims Unit detectives obtained an arrest warrant for 25-year-old Rony Mendez (DOB 1/11/1991), who was 23 years old at the time, charging him with three counts Sexual Battery on a Minor Under 12 Years Old (F-C), and one count Lewd Molestation (F-L), after Mendez sexually molested and impregnated a then-11-year-old girl with whom he had access. The suspect fled to Guatemala in November 2014, but has been extradited back to Polk County on the active warranthe arrived in Tampa on Monday, August 29, 2016. The victim is now 13 years old, and in May 2015, gave birth to a baby fathered by the suspect. 

Lake Wales Man Tasered After Fleeing Traffic Stop – Vehicle Allegedly Had 2.5 Lbs Of Synthetic Marijuana In It

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Lake Wales, Florida –  On Friday August 26, 2016 Lake Wales Police Officer  Jones observed and heard a white BMW vehicle driving in the area D St. with their music blaring and booming. He conducted a traffic stop on this vehicle at E St across from Roosevelt School. Officer  Jones approached the driver, Joseph Howard (a 29 year old Lake Wales resident),  and advised him the reason for the stop. Howard allegedly became nervous and fidgety and exited his vehicle. Howard then took off running through the yards going north down E Street with Officers Jones and  Officer Waldron in pursuit while Officers Arana and Jerome set up perimeter and security of the stopped vehicle and police cars. Ofc Waldron caught up to Howard who refused all of the commands to cease and desist his behavior and he was subsequently stopped by Waldron applying his taser. After being tased Howard fell to the ground where he then complied and was arrested.

During a search of Howard and his vehicle the following was discovered:

–          Howard had $515 in his front left pants pocket.

–          Driver door there was a blunt of synthetic marijuana

–          Next to the driver seat on the floor between the seat and the door were two (2) bags of “Caution” and One (1) bag of “Dr. Dang” full of synthetic marijuana.

–          Under the driver seat was another blunt of synthetic marijuana.

–          Behind the driver seat was a red Comcast bag which contained the following:

·         157 “Dr Dang” (628 grams)

·         67 “What’s up!” (402 grams)

·         17 “Caution” (68 grams)

·         2 iBlown (5 grams)

·         2 AK 47 (10 grams)

·         2 Kush (5 grams)

·         1 Matrix (6 grams)

·         1 Green Giant (5 grams)

·         1 Invy (4 grams)

·         1 Klimax (10 grams)

·         1 California Dreams (4 grams)

(All of these bags were full of suspected synthetic marijuana.)

–          Two (2) almost full trash bags of loose synthetic marijuana. One bag weighed approximately 3 pounds and the other 4 pounds.

–          Three (3) smaller bags contained the following amounts of loose synthetic marijuana:

·         137.7 grams

·         108.5 grams

·         3.7 grams

–          Six (6) garbage bags that appeared to have been already package and sold had the following remaining amounts of loose synthetic marijuana still in them:

·         57.9 grams

·         29.9 grams

·         20.4 grams

·         13.7 grams

·         13.6 grams

·         12.1 grams

–          Also in large zip lock baggies were the following empty packaging bags:

·         243 “Dr Dang”

·         127 “Mr. Happy”

·         119 “Original Spice Gold”

·         83 “Caution”

·         59 “What’s Up!”

·         46 “Exodus”

·         15 “OHH NOOO!!!”

·         11 “Matrix”

·         10 “Joker”

·         8 “iBlown”

·         7 “Xtreme Brandy”

·         7 “Green Giant”

·         6 “Kush”

·         5 “AK 47”

·         4 “Xtreme lime”

·         2 “Mind trip”

·         2 “XXX Platinum”

·         1 “Scooby Snax”

·         1 “Hipster”

·         1 “The kirate kid”

·         1 “7H”

·         1 “Blayze”

·         1 “Born wild”

·         1 “Klimax”

The total weight of package synthetic marijuana was 2.5 pounds.
The total weight of loose synthetic marijuana was 7 pounds 14 ounces.
The total combined weight of synthetic marijuana was 10.4 pounds.
The synthetic marijuana is being sent to FDLE for testing.
A small amount of marijuana was located. Howard was arrested and booked in for possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and resisting arrest. Additional charges are pending. 

Suspect Who Struck Lake Wales Police Officer Fled Scene & Was Captured In Osceola County

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Lake Wales, Florida -In the early hours of Monday , August 29, 2016 Lake Wales Police Officers responded to a burglary alarm call at Sky Power Sports on Hwy 27. The alarm came in at 1:50am. Officers Travis Worley and Mike Jones were in the area patrolling in the LWPD Polaris and they arrived on scene within minutes. As they approached the rear of the business they noticed a white truck (unknown make/model) parked with the passenger door open. The vehicle was not running but was occupied by a male who was in the driver’s seat. Both officers approached and ordered the man out of the vehicle. The man refused to comply, hit Officer Worley with the driver’s door, struck him with his left arm, and attempted to start the truck. Officer Worley reached in the truck to try to stop the suspect from starting the truck and fleeing. The suspect actively resisted, was able to get the truck started, and in gear. As the suspect started driving Officer Worley was partially in and partially out of the cab of the truck. With the truck beginning to accelerate Officer Worley let go and fell from the vehicle. The suspect then fled in the truck northbound on HWY27. Officers began pursuing the suspect as he fled. Stop sticks were deployed at a couple locations which caused at least two of the suspect’s vehicle tires to flatten but he continued to flee. The pursuit went north on HWY27 to I4 and once at I4 the suspect went eastbound. The suspect continued to flee into Osceola County where he abandoned the vehicle and fled into a residence of a friend a home on Georgia Ave in St. Cloud, FL. There he was taken into custody for additional charges by Osceola County SO. The suspect was identified as Erik A Ramos (DOB 06/17/1981) a Saint Cloud resident.

Officers learned at Sky Power Sports there had been two suspects at the scene committing a burglary. The suspects had used tools to cut the fence open and steal property. At this point in the investigation it was determined two rims/tires were taken. Additional property may be reported as the investigation develops. The second suspect was never seen by officers and at this point has not been identified.

Officer Worley sustained no major injuries from the incident but is sore and bruised. No other injuries were reported as a result of this incident. This pursuit involved a multiple law enforcement agencies including the Lake Wales Police Department, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Lake Hamilton Police Department, and Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.

Ramos, who has an extensive criminal history, was booked into the Osceola County Jail. At this point in the investigation Ramos is being charged by the Lake Wales Police Department with burglary, battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest with force/violence, grand theft, and fleeing to elude. Additional charges from the Lake Wales Police Department may result from the investigation. Also, Ramos may be facing charges from the other agencies which were involved. We have no dashcam video of this incident. I am not able to access a current book in photo of Ramos. Attached is a 2011 book in photo from the Department of Corrections. This investigation is active and still ongoing. Anyone who has information on this case is asked to contact Detective Stephanie Goreck at (863) 678-4223 extension 269 or Heartland Crime Stoppers at (800) 226-8477.   

LRC Provides Fall Enrichment Opportunities for Student Success

LRC Provides Fall Enrichment Opportunities for Student Success

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POLK COUNTY, FLA. (August 29, 2016) – Each school year brings both challenges and opportunities to many students. The Learning Resource Center of Polk County, Inc. (LRC) will offer fall enrichment programs for all grade levels to help combat these challenges while creating opportunities.
 
High school students will have the opportunity to become test-wise with SAT and ACT preparation. Both courses will provide students in grades 9-12 the problem-solving strategies, test-specific techniques and motivation needed to build confidence while reducing test anxiety, allowing them to achieve their best possible score.
 
SAT Prep is scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays with three courses this semester: September 6-29, 2016; October 4-27, 2016 and November 1-December 1, 2016.
 
ACT Prep is scheduled for Mondays and Wednesdays with two courses this semester: September 26-October 19, 2016 and October 24-November 16, 2016.
 
Each will take place from 5:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m. for four weeks at the Learning Resource Center and will include one Saturday writing session from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The cost of the full SAT Prep or ACT Prep course is $440.
 
Both high school and middle school students will have the opportunity to join grade-appropriate study skills courses that will provide motivational strategies and study techniques, enabling them to become more effective learners. Study Habits of Successful Students for grades 6-8 will take place on Mondays during September 26-October 24, 2016, while Get the Competitive Edge…College Success Planning for grades 9-12 will take place on Mondays during October 31-December 5, 2016. Both courses will are scheduled for five weeks from 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. at the Learning Resource Center in Lakeland. The cost for each is $145.
 
In addition to the programs mentioned, LRC offers year-round one-to-one tutoring throughout Polk County for students of all levels. Highly-qualified teachers will provide each student with customized, academic opportunities designed to meet the student’s individual learning style.
Thanks to United Way of Central Florida, LRC is able to offer a sliding fee scale. Scholarships are also available for families with a documented financial need. For questions or to enroll in any of the courses, please visit the Learning Resource Center online at LRCPolk.com or call 863-688-9477.
 
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About Learning Resource Center of Polk County, Inc.: The Learning Resource Center of Polk County, Inc. is a nonprofit, United Way educational provider. LRC has a proud 41-year history of offering high-quality academic programs to help students maximize their learning potential. For more information, please visit LRC online at LRCPolk.com or call 863.688.9477.

Cooking on the Ridge: Fresh Tomato Salsa Recipe

Fresh Tomato Salsa Recipe

salsa

 

  • Prep time: 6 minutes
  • Yield: Makes 3 to 4 cups of salsa

When using fresh chile peppers always taste first before adding! Some peppers are hotter than others and you really can’t tell unless you taste them. Just take a very small taste. You’ll be able to gauge the heat of the pepper and will be better able to judge how much you need.

Ingredients

  • 2-3 medium sized fresh tomatoes (from 1 lb to 1 1/2 lb), stems removed
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 2 serrano chiles or 1 jalapeño chile (stems, ribs, seeds removed), less or more to taste
  • Juice of one lime
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Pinch of dried oregano (crumble in your fingers before adding), more to taste
  • Pinch of ground cumin, more to taste

Method

1 Start by roughly chopping the tomatoes, chiles, and onions. Be very careful while handling the chile peppers. If you can, avoid touching the cut peppers with your hands. (I often use disposable gloves or hold the peppers with a plastic sandwich bag.) Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water after handling and avoid touching your eyes for several hours. Set aside some of the seeds from the peppers. If the salsa isn’t hot enough, you can add a few for more heat.

2 Place all of the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse only a few times, just enough to finely dice the ingredients, not enough to purée. If you don’t have a food processor, you can finely dice by hand.

3 Place in a serving bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. If the chilies make the salsa too hot, add some more chopped tomato. If not hot enough, carefully add a few of the seeds from the chilies, or add a little more ground cumin.

Let sit for an hour for the flavors to combine.

Serve with chips, tortillas, tacos, burritos, tostadas, quesadillas, pinto or black beans.

 

North Central Landfill closed on Labor Day

North Central Landfill closed on Labor Day
closed laborday
 
BARTOW, Fla. (August 29, 2016) – The North Central Landfill will be closed on Labor Day, which is Monday, September 5. Also, no residential collection services (including all garbage, yard waste collection and recycling) in all unincorporated areas will occur on that day.
 
The North Central Landfill will re-open on Tuesday, September 6. Collection services will be delayed by one day. Therefore, those who receive collection services on Monday can expect it to occur on Tuesday, Tuesday’s collection will be on Wednesday, Wednesday’s collection will be on Thursday, Thursday’s collection will be on Friday and Friday’s Collection will be on Saturday.
 
Regularly scheduled pick-ups will resume the following Monday.

** WINTER HAVEN POLICE WARN CITIZENS OF FRAUDULENT CALLS USING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ADMINISTRATIVE NUMBER ***

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** WINTER HAVEN POLICE WARN CITIZENS OF FRAUDULENT CALLS USING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ADMINISTRATIVE NUMBER ***
Scam-Alert
Winter Haven Police have received numerous calls from citizens who are saying they are receiving phone calls regarding either crime reports or investigations.
The caller is a male with an Indian accent who has said one of two things. Either the citizen needs to “get a copy of a report” or “you are currently under investigation.” The caller immediately hangs up before the citizen has time to inquire.
There have been no threatening messages thus far and the caller has not identified himself as being from the Department.
This could certainly be a ploy that could ultimately lead the caller to demand the citizen to purchase ITune cards or some other form of payment.
Please let it be clear that the Winter Haven Police Department is NOT sending out any messages or making phone calls to citizens in this manner.
Anyone with the Winter Haven Police Department who contacts a citizen does so by identifying themselves immediately.
We ask that anyone who receives a call like this contact the Winter Haven Police Department at 863-291-5858 to report the incident.

Date Set For 2016 Citrus Center Boys and Girls Clubs Golf Tournament

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The dates have been set for the 2016 Citrus Center Boys and Girls Clubs Golf Tournament.

golf tourn

October 20th-Practice round will be Thursday afternoon at Country Club of Winter Haven followed by dinner, drinks and auction at Grove Roots Brewery.

October 21st- The golf tournament will be held Friday morning at the Country Club of Winter Haven.

More info to come but save the date!

For more information call CCWH at (863) 324-6666

3-year-old Kaiden Shilling of Lake Alfred Celebrates Birthday at Eagle Ridge Mall

3-year-old Kaiden Shilling of Lake Alfred celebrates Birthday at ER Mall

Kaiden Schilling of Lake Alfred celebrated his 3rd birthday with a party at the Eagle Ridge Mall hosted by his grandparents, Bruce and Paulette Schilling.

The party included a live DJ, face-painting, a balloon artist and even a 12ft tall stilt-walker.

Guests were treated to pizza from Brock’s Bistro and joined in a conga line that led to a free ride on the merry-go-round.

Kaiden then joined his grandfather to blow out the candles on his birthday cake celebrating his 3rd Birthday.

To celebrate your special event at the mall contact the Eagle Ridge Mall at (863) 676-2300.

 

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