PCSO Press Release

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested 24-year-old Aliya Cruz of West Highland Street, Lakeland, four days after she fatally struck a pedestrian on W. Highland Street then fled the scene. 

“My Traffic Homicide detectives are the very best in the business. They meticulously work around the clock when conducting fatal crash investigations, especially those that involve suspects who flee the scene. They treat each victim as if he or she were their own family member. I’m very proud of them for solving this case.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff 

Just before 4:00 a.m. on Monday, August 18th, the PCSO ECC received a 911 call regarding a female lying in the middle of West

Highland Street in Lakeland. When first responders arrived, they located Danielle Stilwell, DOB 9/12/1997, deceased in the roadway, and broken vehicle parts indicating a vehicle was involved, although no vehicle was found at the scene.

The parts included the front driver’s side fender liner with a part number included, and a piece of the front bumper. After inquiring with local dealerships, it was learned that this vehicle part belonged to a 2019 to 2022 Kia Forte.

Deputies canvassed the area in search of video surveillance cameras, and reviewed the footage from the Sunoco located near the intersection of Wabash Avenue and W. Highland St., which showed a black sedan traveling westbound from the scene of the crash on W. Highland. The vehicle made a right turn at the red light, heading north on Wabash, then immediately made a U-turn to head south. The vehicle then turned right to go westbound on W. Highland St. The vehicle did not remain on scene, nor did the driver render aid or call for help.

Deputies reviewed a list of black Kia Fortes, 2019-2022 models, registered in Polk County. They located a black Kia parked in the driveway of a house on West Highland Street, which was missing a piece of the driver’s side bumper and the front left wheel fender liner, consistent with the parts left behind at the scene. 

After speaking with the residents inside the home, it was determined that Aliya Cruz, DOB 8/28/2000, was the owner and sole driver of this vehicle.

Detectives interviewed Cruz. She told them that she left her residence at approximately 3:50 a.m. that morning to go to work at the Publix warehouse on S. County Line Rd. in Lakeland. She had to be at work at 4:00 a.m.She traveled west on W Highland St, which is the same route she takes to work daily.

She told detectives that as she was driving, a truck approached her from the opposite direction with high beam lights on, impairing her vision. The truck turned right, and then she observed a woman lying on the roadway in front of her with her hands over her face. She told detectives that she swerved right to avoid striking the woman, and went off the road into the grass. She said she believed that she did not hit the person but she was not sure. She said she turned right at the light, then made a U-turn in the middle of the road, and went back to W. Highland St. to head to work because she did not want to be late to work.

Detectives responded to the Publix warehouse and verified her arrival per their security cameras and badge access readers. Detectives spoke with Cruz’s supervisors, one of whom said Cruz told him she had “possibly killed someone.” She showed him photos of the damage to her car. He advised her to call the police and report it. She made other statements such as, “I don’t really want to say anything,” “Well uhm, I know I didn’t hit them,” “I don’t think I hit the person,” and “I know I swerved.”

On August 22, 2025, detectives interviewed Cruz again, and she told them that when she got to work that morning she took photos of the damage to her car and showed her boss and told him that she was worried because she was unsure if she struck the person or not. She asked him what she should do. He said that she should have stopped and that she should notify the police. 

Cruz was taken into custody on August 22, 2025, and charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving death, F1.