Home Blog Page 1142

10 Adult Suspects & Juvenile Arrested In Child Pornography Possession Sweep In Polk County

Staff Reporter
-
0
10 Adult Suspects & Juvenile Arrested In Child Pornography Possession Sweep In Polk County

Throughout the month of May 2018, Polk County Sheriff’s Computer Crimes detectives served search warrants and made 11 arrests during “Operation Guardians of Innocence II” which focused on identifying and arresting those involved in the possession, promotion, and distribution of child pornography. A total of 660 felony charges were filed against the suspects, with more charges pending.

“As you know, this is just the beginning – once we serve search warrants and seize the devices that these suspects are using to download and distribute pornography, we will do a complete forensic analysis, and in all likelihood we will be adding on more charges related to the felony possession and distribution of images and videos of children being sexually battered. Most of the images we saw during this investigation depicted children being sexually battered, that we have seen before – which means we haven’t yet identified any local child victims, but as always, that is also a part of our investigation.” –
Grady Judd, Sheriff

A search warrant was executed at 126 Grantham Drive in Davenport, where 48-year-old Edward Zaborowski III lives. Detectives received a tip that child pornography files were being advertised by a computer user at that address. Detectives responded to the home and talked with Zaborowski, who admitted that the computer equipment was his. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 4 to 6 years old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. Zaborowski told detectives he searches for and downloads child pornography, and has done so for the past two years. He told detectives he is a bartender in Orlando, and a parent helper and driver for his son’s Boy Scout Troop. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:
64 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2)
1 count promotion of sexual performance by a child (F-2)

A search warrant was executed at 3518 Sutton Hills Drive North in Lakeland, where 64-year-old Richard Cousins lives. Detectives received a tip that child pornography files were being downloaded by a computer user at that address. Detectives responded to the home and, during an initial preview of the equipment, located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 8 to 10 years old. He told detectives he is married. They seized the equipment for further analysis. Cousins was taken into custody without incident and charged with:
143 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2)
3 counts promotion of sexual performance by a child (F-2)
COUSINS CRIMINAL HISTORY: Cousins is a registered sex offender. He was arrested in 1992 in Maine for sexual assault on two male victims under 13 years of age, for which he was sentenced to two years in prison for each victim (4 years total); his sentence was reduced to one year in prison, and 4 years’ probation.

A search warrant was executed at 103 Brighton Way in Auburndale, where 51-year-old Bruce Nopper lives. Detectives received a tip that child pornography files were being advertised by a computer user at that address. Detectives responded to the home and talked with Nopper, who admitted that the computer equipment was his and that he is addicted to viewing child pornography. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 4 to 6 years old. His girlfriend told detectives she previously found disturbing images on his computer, and destroyed the hard drive with bleach and a sledgehammer. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:
12 counts possession of child pornography (F-3)
1 count promotion of sexual performance by a child (F-2)

A search warrant was executed at 335 Madison Circle in Davenport, where 30-year-old Rickie Vargas-Garcia lives. Detectives received a tip that child pornography files were being downloaded by a computer user at that address. Detectives responded to the home and talked with Vargas-Garcia, who admitted that the computer equipment was his and that he trades and views child pornography, and solicits female juveniles online to send him nude photos and videos of themselves. He said he tells juveniles online that he is 18 years old. He said the youngest female he communicated and shared nude photos with was 11 years old. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 3 to 5 years old. He told detectives he’s a Lego builder for Merlin Entertainment. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:
10 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2)
VARGAS-GARCIA CRIMINAL HISTORY: Vargas-Garcia was arrested in 2008 in Virginia for DUI.

A search warrant was executed at 388 Toledo Road in Davenport, where 84-year-old Don Carrier lives. Detectives received a tip that child pornography files were being advertised by a computer user at that address. Detectives responded to the home and talked with Carrier, who admitted that the computer equipment was his and that he has been viewing child pornography for several years – he waits for his wife to leave the house and then watches it. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 3 years old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:
200 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2)

A search warrant was executed at 821 Corvina Drive in Davenport, where 53-year-old Roger Catey lives. Detectives received a tip that child pornography files were being downloaded by a computer user at that address. Detectives responded to the home and talked with Catey, who admitted that the computer equipment was his and that he has been viewing child pornography for approximately one year. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 3 years old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He told detectives he is employed at Walt Disney World as a project manager in the costumes department. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:
24 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2)
2 counts promotion of sexual performance by a child (F-2)

A search warrant was executed at 3218 Crystal Hills Drive in Lakeland, where
35-year-old Mathew Sentz lives. Detectives received a tip that child pornography files were being downloaded by a computer user at that address. Detectives responded to the home and talked with Sentz, who admitted that the computer equipment was his and that he has been viewing child pornography for approximately one year. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 2 to 4 years old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:
100 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2)
SENTZ CRIMINAL HISTORY: Sentz is a registered sex offender. He was arrested in Illinois 2000 for possession of child pornography when he was 17 years old, and he was sentenced to & spent 3 years in prison, 30 months’ worth of probation and 200 hours of public service. He was arrested by Lakeland P.D. in 2009 for failure to register as a sex offender.

A search warrant was executed at 512 Fawn Place in Lakeland, where 24-year-old Jarrod Whiting lives. Detectives received a tip that child pornography files were being downloaded by a computer user at that address. Detectives responded to the home and talked with Whiting, who admitted that the computer equipment was his and that he has been viewing child pornography for “a while.” He admitted to viewing images depicting children as young as infants. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 4 years old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:
14 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2)

A search warrant was executed at 4110 Poinsettia Drive in Mulberry, where 20-year-old Alejandro Baltazar II lives. Detectives received a tip that child pornography files were being downloaded by a computer user at that address. Detectives responded to the home and talked with Baltazar, who told detectives he’s been viewing child pornography for the past two years. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 2 years old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He told detectives he’s a Hillsborough Community College student. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:
55 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2)

A search warrant was executed at 838 Lake Cummings Blvd in Lake Alfred, where 69-year-old Donald Marich lives. Detectives received a tip that child pornography files were being downloaded by a computer user at that address. Detectives responded to the home and talked with Marich, who denied downloading child pornography. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography. He told detectives he is a retired schoolteacher from Maricopa County, Arizona, and that he lives alone but is a Disney annual pass holder and frequently attends the theme park alone. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:
16 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2)
3 counts promotion of child pornography (F-2)

A search warrant was executed in Kissimmee, where a
16-year-old boy lives. Detectives received a NCMEC tip that child pornography files were being downloaded to a Dropbox account. Detectives responded to the home and talked with his parents, and then responded to Haines City High School to talk to the suspect. He admitted to viewing images depicting children as young as infants. During an initial preview of his cell phone, detectives located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 12-24 months old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:
12 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2)

3 Polk Teens Charged With Felonies After Allegedly Burglarizing Vehicles In Auburndale

Staff Reporter
-
0
3 Polk Teens Charged With Felonies After Allegedly Burglarizing Vehicles In Auburndale

Polk County Press Release

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested three teens early Sunday morning, June 3, 2018, after a nearby resident witnessed the boys attempting to get into a car. Arrested were 15-year-old Gavin Moran of Lakeland, 14-year-old Jacob Kreticos of Auburndale, and 14-year-old Maxx Draughn of Polk City. All three were charged with felonies.

At about 1:19 a.m., a resident in the Berkley Ridge neighborhood witnessed the boys trying to burglarize vehicles, notified the Sheriff’s Office, and provided detailed descriptions of them.

Deputies quickly arrived, and found the trio walking down Dornich Drive, and they were given orders to stop. Two of the boys complied, but Draughn tried to flee. He was immediately captured.

All three suspects were wearing dark hoodies, and carrying flashlights. Two of the boys were wearing bandanas. Kreticos was wearing a backpack which was found to contain a screwdriver and a glass pipe with a small amount of marijuana.

The suspects admitted that they wore the bandanas in an attempt to conceal their identities. A third bandana was located on the property of one of the burglary victims.

“Three teenagers behaving badly were caught, and arrested, in large part because the witness notified us immediately, and provided not only an excellent description, but also which direction the suspects went. This perfectly exemplifies how good ‘see something, say something’ works. It was a great conclusion – a string of burglaries interrupted , and three juveniles being held accountable.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff.

All three boys were arrested and transported to the Juvenile Assessment Center in Bartow, and charged with three counts of Attempted Burglary of Conveyance (F-3) for attempting to break into three different vehicles on Dornich Drive and Berkley Ridge Lane.

Draughn was additionally charged with Resisting (M-1). Kreticos was charged for Possession of Burglary Tools (F-3), and Possession of Marijuana (M-1) and Paraphernalia (M-1). Moran was also charged with Possession of Burglary Tools (F-3), and Violation of Probation (M-2).

Moran’s prior criminal history includes three misdemeanors (Battery, Petit Theft, and Marijuana Possession). Prior criminal history for Draughn is one misdemeanor charge for Battery. Kreticos had no prior criminal history.

Learn To Eat Healthy With Chat And Chew At Bambu Cafe

Staff Reporter
-
0
Learn To Eat Healthy With Chat And Chew At Bambu Cafe

Learn To Eat Healthy With Chat And Chew At Bambu Cafe

by James Coulter

Six years ago, Nanette Rodgers was not the healthiest. She was slightly overweight, she suffered from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and her condition required her to take medication.

Upon being invited by her friend, Cathy Thornhill, to attend her Chat and Chew meetings, Rodgers went from eating eggs, beef, and fish to her current plant-based whole food diet, and started to walk at least 10,000 steps a day.

Six years later, now at age 82, her new lifestyle has allowed her to lose 18 pounds and reach her current weight of 119 pounds (a healthy weight for her age and height), and she no longer takes any medication save a B12 vitamin supplement.

Not only has she run several half-marathons, but has won many of them, obtaining many first and second place medals within her age range.

Both her long and healthy life and her athletic success she owes to her plant-based whole food lifestyle that she learned about through the local health advocacy group, Chat and Chew, founded by Thornhill.

“Six years ago…I was not feeling that great,” she said. “So I have really been grateful of Cathy and [that] I have this lifestyle right now.”

Those interested in learning about such a healthy lifestyle through good nutrition and a plant-based whole food diet are invited to attend Chat and Chew’s “Meet Up To Eat Out” at Bambu Cafe on June 26 at 5:30pm.

At this special dinner, attendees can enjoy either a lentil or potato soup, along with their choice of salad or dessert, the latter of which will be chia seed made from almond milk and topped with granola, and all of which can be ordered and paid for at the counter.

While having their lunch, they can enjoy a musical sing-along Nat and Jane West about the joys of a healthy diet and active lifestyle.

Following this dinner and sing-along will be a discussion led by Vikki Deedrick about plant-based whole food diets with handouts detailing important information and resources.

Since 2014, Chat and Chew has hosted these events during the spring and summer months at various local eateries, including Bambu Cafe and Elmo, Ruby Tuesday’s, and Linda’s Magical Dining in Winter Haven, and Cornerstone Grill in Lake Alfred.

Chat and Chew is a Winter Haven-based health advocacy group dedicated to educating the general public about healthy eating and living through cooking demonstrations, grocery store tours, and teleconferencing lectures provided by the nation’s top medical healthcare experts.

Since starting in 2012, the group has grown its outreach and membership, with many participants joining with hopes of achieving their own personal goals, whether it be weight loss or coping with an illness such as diabetes or cancer, Rodgers explained.

“They will be with people who are at all different times in their life with a need or interest in a whole food plant-based issue,” she said. “They can get together and talk and share with other people and eat the food.”

Often when Rodgers goes running with her fellow runners, they will go to lunch with her and see what she is eating as they plan their own health goals.

“They watch me order and they want to see what I am ordering,” she said. “I find that when I am with a lot of my runners, they will order quinoa with almond milk, and they say that they feel so much better.”

Rodgers hopes that other people not only attend their event later this month, but that they walk away with a vested interested in improving their diet and lifestyle by becoming more proactive.

“Be open-minded and try it [a plant-based whole food diet] for three weeks and see how you feel,” she said. “In the words of Hippocrates, let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food.”

Chat and Chew’s Meet Up To Eat Out will be hosted at Bambu Cafe, located at 371 3rd Street NW in Winter Haven.

The dinner will be hosted on June 26 at 5:30pm. Those interested in attending are advised to RSVP by June 22 by contacting Rodgers at: [email protected]

For more information about Chat and Chew, visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/Chat-and-Chew-More-Plants-1578022735745353/

The Lake Wales Police Department is Attempting to Identify These Grand Theft Suspects

Staff Reporter
-
0
The Lake Wales Police Department is Attempting to Identify These Grand Theft Suspects

The Lake Wales Police Department is Attempting to Identify These Grand Theft Suspects

 

On May 23, 2018 at approximately 7:20pm these four unidentified suspects entered Kohl’s located at 2803 Ridge Way in Lake Wales. The suspects filled several Kohl’s shopping bags with merchandise, most of which was athletic clothing. The females left the bags, the males collected the bags which had been left by the females, and they ran out the front door of Kohl’s without paying for the property, valued at $4,270.00. The suspects fled in the silver vehicle shown in this picture.

If you have information on the identity of the suspects please contact Detective Ben Metz at (863) 678-4223 extension 265 or Heartland Crime Stoppers at (800) 226-8477.

Polk Sheriffs Office Working Deputy Involved Shooting In Dundee

Staff Reporter
-
0
Polk Sheriffs Office Working Deputy Involved Shooting In Dundee

PCSO Conducting Deputy-Involved Shooting Investigation in Dundee

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a deputy-involved shooting that occurred in Dundee around 10:20 a.m. on Friday, June 1, 2018. Preliminary information so far is as follows:

Around 10:00 a.m. this morning, two PCSO Computer Crimes detectives responded to 203 8th Street North in Dundee, in response to an online tip in reference to the presence of child pornography at that location, possibly being downloaded by someone with an email address indicating a name of Andres Estrada. The male and female detective first spoke with 18-year-old Claudio Estrada, who lives at the home with his parents and 21-year-old brother Andres. They asked Claudio if Andres was home, and Claudio went inside to retrieve his brother.

Andres came out of his bedroom and outside to talk to the two detectives. He was cooperative when they explained why they were there, and he invited them inside. Andres then sat down at a table in a common area of the home with both detectives and spoke with them, still cooperating. They asked Andres to retrieve his computer from his room, which he did. They also asked Andres if they could review his cell phone, and he handed it over. When they saw that it was locked, he unlocked it for them. At that time, the male detective located a photo that contains child pornography, and showed it to Andres. Andres admitted that he knew it was child pornography, and appeared to be contrite.

The male detective told the female detective to read the suspect his rights, while he walked into another room to call his supervisor and fellow detectives. As soon as he left the room, he heard a commotion and then his female partner screaming “help” and “get him off me!”

The male detective ran back into the room and observed Andres, who is 6′ tall and 220 lbs., on top of the female detective, on the ground, punching her on the head, and trying to get her gun from her holster on her waist. The male detective yelled at Andres to get off her, but his commands were ignored. The male detective then fired approximately three times at Andres, and pulled his partner away from underneath him, and into the other room.

According to the brother, Claudio, as soon as the male detective left the room, Andres lunged off his chair and onto the female detective, throwing her to the ground, getting on top of her, and beating her. She is about 100 lbs. less than the suspect, and 8 inches shorter. Claudio stated that Andres yelled, “You’re not going to do this to me!” Claudio attempted to pull Andres off of her, when he saw the other detective come back into the room, at which point he moved away.

Our female detectives was taken to a local hospital where she was treated for her injuries and released.

There are five independent investigations at this time:

A child pornography investigation, the details of which will be released next week along with other child pornography arrests;

A death investigation;

An autopsy by the Medical Examiner;

An internal agency review of the shooting;

A review by the State Attorney’s Office.

Andres has no criminal history, and has been Baker Acted three times: in March 2015, in May 2015, and in February 2016.

Leading National Healthcare Expert Advocates Plant-Based Whole Foods Diet

Staff Reporter
-
0
Leading National Healthcare Expert Advocates Plant-Based Whole Foods Diet

Leading National Healthcare Expert Advocates Plant-Based Whole Foods Diet

by James Coulter

When Dr. Michael Greger was a young child, his grandmother, Frances, was diagnosed with heart disease, the severity of which confined her to a wheelchair.

Even after receiving multiple bypasses, Frances was expected by her doctors not to live longer, being given the “medical death sentence” of living until the age of 65, Dr. Greger explained.

After converting to a plant-based diet, Frances’ condition improved to the point where she was not only able to get out of her wheelchair, but walk ten miles a day, Dr. Greger said.

Despite doctors expecting her to die by age 65, France continued to live another 34 healthy years thanks to her new lifestyle.

Her miracle taught Dr. Greger that heart disease and other fatal medical conditions have the potential of being reversed.

Thus he was inspired to dedicate his life to researching the many ways to prevent and reverse such diseases through a healthy diet and active lifestyle.

Dr. Greger shared his medical knowledge and expertise during a video teleconferencing call hosted by a health advocacy group in Winter Haven on Thursday evening.

More than 60 people from the local area, as well as from as far away as Ocala, attended the event, which was also livestreamed to ten states and two foreign countries.

Nearly a dozen people addressed the doctor through his video teleconferencing call to ask him about their healthcare and diet-related questions, asking what foods they can eat to help relieve heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and depression.

Dr. Greger has spent more than a decade researching the top medical journals and sharing his findings to the general public through his books like his bestseller “How Not To Die” and his website NutritionFacts.org.

His overall recommendation for a long healthy life is to eat a plant-based whole food diet, get plenty of exercise, and abstain from meat, processed food, and soft drinks.

Doing so will not only prevent diseases such as heart disease, but also has the potential of reversing such diseases, he explained.

Too often in the modern medical community, doctors will often treat the disease rather than treat its cause; so rather than focus on treating the disease and its symptoms, they ought to focus on treating and preventing the cause, Dr. Greger said.

“We need to treat the cause,” he said. “If you treat the cause, then we don’t need to worry about how to make things better because we will get rid of it in the first place.”

Chat and Chew, the local health advocacy group that hosted the event, has been advocating for such a proactive lifestyle focused on a plant-based whole food diet for the past several years.

Started by local educator, Cathy Thornhill, the grassroots group provides education and resources to local residents through cooking classes, grocery store tours, and video teleconferencing calls to top medical experts like Dr. Greger.

Such an effort ensures accessibility to the latest medical information and research to help residents start healthy eating and living, Thornhill explained.

“Everybody comes with their own goals,” she said. “We hope that all the information we provide, they can pull from that to reach their goals…whether you want to feel better or you have a disease, we have experts that are national experts and who are well versed in what the body of research says about diet and nutrition.”

Many Chat and Chew members have experienced motivational results from the advice they learned from the group, to the point where many of them no longer have to take medicine.

Vikki Deedrick, a Winter Haven resident, has a husband who was told by his doctors that he would have to take medication for the rest of his life to treat his high blood pressure and cholesterol, which were all genetic.

After two months of changing his diet, he only had to take half of the drugs prescribed to him; and within four months, he no longer had to take any medicine save his thyroid medication, she said.

“So when your doctor tells you it is genetic, most of the time it is because they don’t have any other answers,” she said. “They don’t know what else to tell you. But don’t believe it was your genes…Your genes may load the gun, but your diet and lifestyle pull the trigger.”

Another member, Mandy Martha from Winter Haven, was struggling with osteoporosis until she arrived to the group and learned that dairy products agitated the condition, along with many other diseases.

“Since then, I have been off dairy, have only been drinking almond milk, and I feel ever so much better,” she said. “I don’t feel so bloated. I don’t feel so sick.”

A video of the livestream events, as well as past livestreams, can be viewed on the Chat and Chew More Plants YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdEoSubBPiUQ-i8pRfYMBjA

Chat and Chew will be hosting a “Meet Up To Eat Out” event at Bambu Café on June 26 at 5:30 p.m. Bambu Café is located 371 3rd Street NW in Winter Haven. Those interested are to RSVP by June 22, and to contact Nanette Rodgers at [email protected].

For more information on Chat and Chew, visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/Chat-and-Chew-More-Plants-1578022735745353/

For more information on Dr. Greger, visit his website at: https://nutritionfacts.org/

LW Seahawks Give Back Night at Chili’s Grill & Bar June 4th 4PM to 9 PM

Staff Reporter
-
0
LW Seahawks Give Back Night at Chili’s Grill & Bar June 4th 4PM to 9 PM

Polk County School Crossing Guard Committee Announces School Crossing Guards to Be Removed PUBLIC NOTICE

Staff Reporter
-
0
Polk County School Crossing Guard Committee Announces School Crossing Guards to Be Removed PUBLIC NOTICE
The Kathleen Elementary school crossing guard located at Sheretz Avenue and Tiger Way in Lakeland will be removed due to the low traffic volume and adequate gaps in traffic, which eliminate the need for the guard.
 
The Combee Academy of Design & Engineering school crossing guard located at Combee Road and Hardin Combee Road in Lakeland will be removed due to the low volume of turning traffic at the signalized intersection which eliminates the need for the guard.
 
These decisions were made by the School Crossing Guard Committeefollowing crossing counts collected. This committee is comprised of representatives from the Polk County School Board, the Florida Department of Transportation, the Board of County Commissioners Traffic Engineering Division, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and a number of the municipalities within Polk County.
 
As a matter of procedure, the School Crossing Guard Committee communicates with the principal of the affected school to inform him or her of the actions taken. In addition, the principal is reminded to notify members of the committee if the situation changes at which time another survey would be conducted.
 
The school crossing guard were removed effective Thursday, May 24, 2018.
 
While this review process occurs throughout the year, deputies patrol school zones daily as a reminder to motorists that caution is critical.  Please remember that fines are doubled in school zones and that all law enforcement members take the safety of children very seriously. As a responsible motorist, so should you.
 
The Polk County School Crossing Guard Committee reminds you to please drive safely in and around schools and school safety zones! 

Child Injured During Search Warrant Of Drug House in Lakeland

Staff Reporter
-
0
Child Injured During Search Warrant Of Drug House in Lakeland
Child Injured During Search Warrant Of Drug House in Lakeland
Lakeland PD Release:
LAKELAND, FL (June 1, 2018) – On Thursday, May 31, 2018, at approximate 12:02 p.m., members of the Lakeland Police Department SWAT team executed a high-risk search warrant at 1103 West 9th Street. Narcotics detectives had secured the search warrant in response to continuous drug activity at the residence. 
The target suspect at the residence, Deshaundre Roseboro, 27 years of age, was known to be armed and has a violent criminal history. Roseboro has been previously arrested for felony crimes including Aggravated Battery with a Weapon, Robbery, Sale of Cocaine and Possession of a Weapon by a convicted felon.
Once at the residence, SWAT team officers, per protocol, knocked and verbally announced that they were executing a search warrant. Upon entry of the residence, a tactical officer visibly cleared the room and did not observe any individuals inside. The small room was cluttered with clothing and miscellaneous furniture items, including old mattresses leaning up against a wall. With no individuals in sight, a less lethal distraction device was deployed. The device is a noise-flash diversion product commonly used in search warrants. 
As the officer was backing out of the room, a young child, two years old, who is believed to be have been hiding behind the mattresses, began walking toward the distraction device as it activated. The officer immediately grabbed the child, taking him outside to the SWAT team medic, who always accompanies the team, for treatment. The child was transported to Lakeland Regional Health and then to Tampa General Hospital for further treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. The child’s mother, Carmesha Jones, was not at the scene, but detectives located her a short time later. Jones does live at the residence, but had left her son in the care of Willie Cohen who was arrested at the scene. Jones is now with her son at Tampa General Hospital. 
 
Also, during the deployment, an aggressive pit bull on the property lunged at a K9 Officer who was securing the perimeter of the property. The officer fired at the dog, grazing one of its legs. Polk County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Unit was called to evaluate the animal. There did not appear to be serious injuries to the dog.
Inside the residence, officers seized Methamphetamines, Xanax, K2 (synthetic cannabis), Crack Cocaine, drug paraphernalia and a loaded handgun. 
Detectives have contacted the Department of Children and Families and will be conducting a joint investigation regarding the welfare of the child.
Arrested:
Willie C. Cohen
Age 29 (DOB: 04/18/1989)
2015 Kendrick Lane, Lakeland, FL 33805
Charged with:
Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon
Cohen was previously convicted of a Burglary of an Occupied Structure in 2014 and was released from felony probation on 09/30/2017.
Newton Al Harris
Age 29 (DOB: 07/15/1988)
1125 West 9th Street
Charged with:
Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon
Harris was previously convicted of Homicide and Robbery with a Firearm on 06/29/2005 and released from prison on 06/27/2015 . Harris was also documented as a known gang member.
The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are expected for other suspects not named in this release.
The name of the tactical officer mentioned is not being released due to his status as an undercover officer. exemption: Florida State Statutes 119.071 (4)(c)

Heart of Florida Hospital On Lockdown After Person Arrived With A Gunshot Wound

Staff Reporter
-
0
Heart of Florida Hospital On Lockdown After Person Arrived With A Gunshot Wound

Haines City, Florida – According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office a person was brought into the hospital suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. The hospital was put on lockdown according to witnesses. The individual arrived in a white colored car and blood could be seen by witnesses all over the vehicle. At this time law enforcement is on scene and they have the situation under control. There is no immediate danger to patients, staff or visitors of the hospital.

According to Carrie Horstman, Public Information Officer with Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the person shot has not advised who or how he was shot.

According to a person at the hospital the lockdown that was instituted as has been lifted as of 8pm.

1...1,1411,1421,143...1,396Page 1,142 of 1,396