The Polk County Sheriff’s
Office Traffic Homicide Unit is investigating a fatal two-vehicle crash that
occurred Friday morning, January 29, 2021 near Haines City.
One of the drivers,
32-year-old Francisco Roman of Lake Wales, was fatally injured in the crash,
and died after being transported to Lakeland Regional Health.
The other driver involved,
29-year-old Eric McClellan of Davenport, was treated at the scene for minor
pain.
The head-on collision
happened on Old Polk City Road, about a mile east of Country Road 557, at
around 5:15 AM.
According to the preliminary
investigation, Mr. Roman was driving east in a black 2007 Lexus IS250, and Mr.
McClellan was driving west in a black 2012 Ford F-150.
While travelling through a
curve in the road, Mr. Roman’s Lexus entered into the westbound lane. The
passenger side of the Lexus struck the passenger side of Mr. McClellan’s Ford,
causing both vehicles to spin, with the Ford rolling onto its roof.
Both drivers were wearing
their safety belts at the time of the crash.
Old Polk City Road was closed
for about four hours.
Criminal charges are not
anticipated, but the investigation is ongoing.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrests ten for defrauding CARES Act Covid-19 program created to assist residents with rent, utilities, and housing costs
Ten people were arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Thursday, January 28, 2021 following an investigation of suspicious aid applications. The investigation focused on fraudulent activity to deprive money from Polk Cares, a county program started under the Federal CARES Act which assists residents struggling to pay for rent, utilities, and other housing costs, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
To be eligible for the assistance, several criteria must be met, one of which is that applicants had to provide a letter from their employer which detailed how the employee lost their job or had their hours cut due to the pandemic. Those who qualified for assistance would then receive a one-time payment of $2,000.00.
During the application process, numerous suspected fraudulent applications were set aside and turned over to the PCSO.
The applications were scrutinized and it was determined that a number of the employer letters were forged. Companies and people whose signatures appeared on suspicious letters were contacted and the letters were confirmed to be fraudulently created and used. Among those arrested were grocery store employees, restaurant managers, a para educator, and a Licensed Practical Nurse. Some of the suspects were already receiving some form of government assistance. Nine of the ten arrested were employed and/or did not have their hours reduced due to Covid-19.
“The Polk Cares program was designed to provide help to people in our community because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our investigation is covered people using fraudulent means to help themselves to some of that money. It is important that these kinds of government assistance programs have integrity. We will continue to investigate those who want to take advantage of programs designed to help those in need.”– Grady Judd, Sheriff
The Federal CARES Act was put into place to assist citizens who lost their jobs or had their hours significantly cut due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Polk County was allotted $126 Million dollars for the citizens of Polk County. The BOCC took a portion of the money and created a Polk Cares website portal for people to apply online for a one-time payment of $2,000 to assist with rent/mortgage and bills while out of work or had hours cut. Additionally, the program was expanded to also offer $2,000 for the senior population experiencing an increase in expenses due to COVID.
The Polk Cares website had the following criteria of eligibility: · Applicant must be a resident of Polk County · Applicant must submit a valid Florida DL or government-issued ID, and SSN · Applicant must submit mortgage and/or utility statement · Applicant must show a verifiable loss or reduction in income related to COVID-19, such as furlough, lay-off letter from employer, or underemployment statements · Applicant must not have received other COVID-19 assistance for rent, mortgage, or utility payments. · Limited to one per household
The ten suspects arrested were:
Brittany Capers, 27, of Lakeland– Charged with Obtaining Property by Fraud (F3), Grand Theft (F3), and Criminal Use of Personal ID (F3). Capers was receiving unemployment benefits at the time of her arrest.
Ebony Chaney, 34, of Lake Wales- Charged with Conspiracy to Commit Fraud (F2), Obtaining Property by Fraud (F3), Grand Theft (F3), Cheating/Gross Fraud (F3). Chaney was receiving food stamps at the time of her arrest.
Ermanne Henry, 43, of Lakeland– Charged with Obtaining Property by Fraud (F3), Grand Theft (F3), and Criminal Use of Personal ID (F3).
Mervin Suttle, 36, of Bartow– Charged with Obtaining Property by Fraud (F3), Grand Theft (F3), and Criminal Use of Personal ID (F3). Suttle was receiving food stamps and unemployment at the time of his arrest.
Patricia Taylor, 38, of Lakeland– Charged with Obtaining Property by Fraud (F3), Grand Theft (F3), and Criminal Use of Personal ID (F3). She was employed as an LPN at a nursing home.
Phyllis Tirado, 49, of Lake Wales– Charged with Conspiracy to Commit Fraud (F2), Obtaining Property by Fraud (F3), and Cheating/Gross Fraud (F3). Tirado did not receive any money, but provided a fraudulent document to an employee.
Takila McBurrows, 36, of Lake Wales– Charged with Obtaining Property by Fraud (F3), Grand Theft (F3), and Criminal Use of Personal ID (F3). McBurrows was receiving food stamps at the time of her arrest. She told deputies that she works as a para-educator.
Tashai Newman, 43, of Winter Haven– Charged with Obtaining Property by Fraud (F3), Grand Theft (F3), and Criminal Use of Personal ID (F3). Newman was receiving food stamps at the time of her arrest.
Derrick Dawsey, 50, of Lake Wales– Charged with Obtaining Property by Fraud (F3), Grand Theft (F3), and Criminal Use of Personal ID (F3).
Dominique Frasier, 36, of Lakeland– Charged with Obtaining Property by Fraud (F3), Grand Theft (F3), and Criminal Use of Personal ID (F3). Frasier was receiving food stamps at the time of her arrest. She was employed as a CNA at a nursing home.
This is no church mouse! The guy in this video broke into Champions Church (1801 Havendale Blvd.) on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021 by prying a door open. He rummaged through various rooms throughout the church. Obviously he is up to no good! If you recognize him, please call Det. Maldonado at 863-291-5676. Callers wishing to remain anonymous should call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS (8477). Callers are guaranteed anonymity and could be eligible for a CASH reward.
Four teenaged
Orlando-area boys, all with serious criminal history, were arrested early
Thursday morning, January 28, 2021, while they were in the process of
committing car burglaries in the Four Corners area of Davenport.
The quick arrests were made possible due to a witness who saw the suspects in
action and reported it immediately and by the use of the Live911 system used by
PCSO deputies, which allowed them to hear the actual 911 call as it was happening.
Responding deputies were able to quickly respond to the scene at Woodsprings
Suites on Bella Cita Boulevard where the burglaries were witnessed. PCSO was
assisted by the Florida Highway Patrol and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.
The 911 call was received by the Emergency Communications Center at 3:39 a.m.,
and the first deputies arrived in the area immediately and began setting up a
perimeter.
The suspects fled from the scene in a white Honda Civic. At one point, the
vehicle sped past a deputy who was on foot, bumping him as they passed. The
vehicle soon after crashed into a curb and the four suspects bailed out of the
car and ran away.
Two of the suspects were caught immediately. A third suspect was found hiding
in the bathroom on the Champion’s Gate golf course. A PCSO K-9 unit, working
with support from an OCSO Air Unit, was able to track the fourth suspect to a
heavily wooded retention pond, finding the suspect partially submerged in
water.
The Honda Civic used by the suspects had been reported stolen out of Orlando
three hours prior to the car burglaries in Polk County.
“I can’t tell you how many times we have had people, usually juveniles,
coming down here from the Orlando area to burglarize and steal from the good
people of Polk County. And it usually doesn’t end well for the suspects either.
At some point, they have to realize that it’s not working out for them to come
down to Polk to commit their crimes.”Grady Judd,
Sheriff
The suspects arrested were: Johnny
Dixon, 16. Dixon’s prior criminal history consists of 10 felonies and
8 misdemeanors, with charges to include: multiple conveyance burglaries,
burglary of a dwelling, grand thefts, dealing in stolen property, possession of
marijuana in excess of 20 grams, criminal mischief, petit thefts, resisting,
and trespassing. He also has numerous probation violations and failures to
appear.
Anthony Bridgett, 16. Bridgett had
an outstanding warrant issued for him on January 25th for Robbery-Carjacking.
His prior criminal history consists of 4 felonies and 2 misdemeanors, with
charges to include: robbery-carjacking, burglary, giving false ID to a LEO,
tampering with an electronic monitoring device, drug possession, resisting, and
numerous violations of probation.
Joshua
Legrand, 17. Joshua Legrand has a prior criminal history consisting of 1
felony and 3 misdemeanors, with charges to include: grand theft of a motor
vehicle, possession of marijuana, trespassing, and possession of drug
paraphernalia.
Jacob
Legrand, 16. Jacob Legrand’s prior criminal history consists of 2 felonies and
4 misdemeanors, with charges to include, marijuana possession with intent to
sell, resisting, and trespassing
Dixon
was charged with: Aggravated Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer (F1),
Fleeing to Elude (F2), Aggravated Assault on a LEO – 2 counts (F2), Burglary of
Conveyance – 3 counts (F3), Resisting with Violence (F3), Resisting without
Violence (M1), and Petit Theft (M2).
The other three were charged with Burglary of Conveyance – 3 counts (F3), and
Petit Theft – 3 counts (M2),
On Wednesday, January 27, 2021, around 10:20 a.m., a witness
surveying orange groves in the area of Belleview Drive and 11th Street
in Lake Wales observed a single vehicle that had crashed and come to a stop
well off the roadway. The witness contacted PCSO and traffic deputies arrived
to initiate the investigation.
According to the preliminary evidence, it appears the driver
of the 2004 green Subaru Forrester, 19-year-old Isela Flores of Frostproof, was
heading to work at the Walmart in Lake Wales during the early morning hours
when for unknown reasons she failed to negotiate the curve on Belleview,
approximately 1,200 feet east of 11th Street South. The Subaru was
heading eastbound and went straight through the curve, off of the roadway onto
the north shoulder, sideswiped a tree, went airborne, down an embankment, and
landed on the railroad tracks. The Subaru rolled over and entrapped Flores. The
car was unable to be seen by anyone driving on the road, due to its position
down the embankment and being hidden by trees. She was extricated by first
responders when they arrived on-scene, with very critical injuries.
According to her family, Flores left home around 5:00 a.m.
to go to work at Walmart in Lake Wales. It is unknown at what time the crash
occurred, and deputies are fairly certain she was rendered unconscious and
unable to call for help. Heavy fog was reported in the area early that morning,
and it was dark at 5:00 a.m. There are no streetlights on that stretch of the
roadway.
The investigation is ongoing. Flores is in the
Trauma Intensive Care Unit at LRHMC with very critical injuries.
PCFR Captain Anthony Damiano turned himself in at the Polk County Jail booking facility in Bartow this afternoon. He is being booked in at this time.
He has been charged with official misconduct (F3), and petit theft (M2).
And just to clear up some confusion from earlier release- three DOSES of the vaccine were stolen; these were three filled syringes. Vials were not stolen.
Please help ID this guy! On 1/20/2021 around 10:30 a.m., the man in the photos entered the Chevron Station located at 2100 1st St North in Winter Haven. Our victim had accidentally left his wallet at the counter and this subject picked it up, hiding it with the paper bag he is holding. If you know who he is, please call Det. Maldonado at 863-291-5676.
by Kevin Kieft, President/CEO of the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce and EDC
A new year is finally upon us, and with it comes new possibilities, both for our country and our little city here in Lake Wales.
The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine will hopefully curb the tide of this deadly virus and help return a sense of normalcy to our daily lives—and with it, help set our economy back on track.
And, of course, our country has a new presidential administration. I won’t get too political, as I know the topic is highly divisive, but I am always excited for new opportunities and to see what new ideas will come about through such change.
As for Lake Wales, we here at the Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Council have big plans for the coming year. Here are just a few:
Big Events. Several major Chamber events have been re-scheduled. Our golf outing typically scheduled for the fall will be moved to the spring, either late April or early May. Likewise, our Awards Gala that is normally scheduled for the spring will be moved to the fall or late winter close to Christmas.
Ribbon Cuttings. We are still trying to plan different ribbon cuttings and after-hour events; however, we are trying to figure out how to do all of that safely. We recently hosted our first ribbon cutting of the year for RV Resort at Canopy Oaks earlier this month. Nearly 100 people gathered outdoors for the successful event, and we are excited to host many more soon.
Lake Wales Connected. Both Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency and Main Street Lake Wales are doing a fantastic job of moving forward the downtown area’s renovations near Park Avenue. If all goes well, expect to see newly-paved sidewalks and streetscaping to facilitate pedestrian traffic, outdoor dining, and public events.
Industrial and Commercial Property. One of our main focuses is property development for industrial uses or large commercial uses. Many of our industrial buildings are filled up, so our main priority has been scoping out properties with potential for industrial manufacturing and logistics, ensuring they have the proper zoning and utilities, and preparing them for use. This way, we can submit those properties when we have a project from the state or Central Florida Development Council. Like anything, if you don’t have the product, then you don’t have much to sell, and so we need the product.
Residential Property. Like any municipality, we want to draw in more residents because more residents mean more business and more revenue for the local economy. Not only are we are pushing for more development of residential properties within the city limits, but more retail branches with eateries and shops to offer a more immense span of options for people. Ultimately, we want to see what people’s spending power can do with more rooftops in a five-to-ten-mile radius.
Remote Work Opportunities. With people working remotely and choosing to move where they live rather than where they work, we are pushing for downtown development for amenity development to attract people who are willing to relocate here and they still work for a company across the state or country. We hope to reach out with quality-of-life issues that will help make Lake Wales stand out.
COVID Info. We hope to have our Chamber serve as a community portal for information, both for residents seeking the latest CDC information concerning COVID-19 vaccinations and businesses seeking loans and assistance. Hopefully, by serving as a clearinghouse for said information, we can help bring our community back to normal.
Winter Haven Fire Department Yesterday, Director of Public Safety Charles Bird presented Captain Casey Dasher with his 20 Years of Service plaque. Captain Dasher started with the department on November 6, 2000. He was hired as a firefighter/EMT and became paramedic in 2003. He has always been a great asset to the department. Thanks to his dedication and hard work, he was promoted to lieutenant in 2012. In 2016, he was promoted to training captain and has been in charge of fire training in our department.
Join us in celebrating his dedication to the Winter Haven Fire Department and this great milestone in his career.
