On January 25, 2021,
Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested 45-year-old Kevin John Wheeler
of Fort Meade for removing a monument (F3) and petit theft (M2).
On January 13, 2021, Roy and Elizabeth Tillman reported a theft of solar lights at their son, Damion’s gravesite at the Evergreen Cemetery in Fort Meade. Damion Tillman and two others were murdered last July in Frostproof while on a fishing trip. Click here for the news release of that homicide.
Following the initial
theft, the Tillmans placed a surveillance camera at the site.
Then on January 25th,
around 11:15 p.m., the Tillmans observed someone, via the camera at their son’s
gravesite, removing the lights. They called the PCSO Emergency Communications
Center and gave a detailed description of the suspect and his red pick-up
truck.
While responding to
the cemetery, deputies located the suspect and conducted a traffic stop.
According to the affidavit, Wheeler “spontaneously stated he was getting
lights” and that “he had an interest with gravesite lights and was
removing them because he thought they were pretty.”
The stolen lights from
Damion’s gravesite, along with 5 additional solar lights, were found in the bed
of Wheeler’s pick-up truck.
“Few of us know the
agony of burying a child, and even fewer if that child is murdered. It is
abhorrent that this criminal made the Tillman family a victim yet again.”– Grady Judd, Sheriff
Wheeler was arrested
and transported to the Polk County Jail. He has since been released on a
$1,250.00 bond. Wheeler’s criminal history includes 2 felonies: grand theft and
vehicle theft, as well as receiving a Special Court Martial by the US Naval
Criminal Investigative Service for making a bomb threat.
Can you help identify either of these two? A resident who lives on Michelle St. in Winter Haven came home to a smashed back patio door. Thankfully, the door is double pane and only the outside portion was broken preventing them from getting inside. Here’s what happened: On 1/24/2021 around 4:30 p.m., the two males seen in the video arrive in a silver Nissan Altima and walk around to the side of the Michelle St. residence. Shortly after, they are seen getting back into the vehicle that had left for a short time. The vehicle had driven past the residence two times just prior to the males exiting the vehicle. When the residents came home later in the evening, they found the broken window. If anyone can help identify either of these two or knows anything about this case, please call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS (8477). Callers are guaranteed anonymity and could be eligible for a CASH reward.
Winter Haven Police Department Skip Scanning Away Saturday, January 23, the pair you’ll see used the self-checkout at Walmart (355 Cypress Gardens Blvd.) to intentionally not scan items and go straight to the bag, scan one and bag two – even grabbing a pack of gum to scan for a family-size pack of ground beef. If anyone recognizes either of them, please contact Sgt. Hall at 863-291-5736. 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.
At around 11:30 p.m. on January 23, 2021, deputies found Reinert in the Miller’s Ale House (5650 Florida Avenue South, Lakeland) parking lot. She was sitting in the driver’s seat of her running 2011 Dodge Caliber and smoking what appeared to be a marijuana cigarette.
According to the affidavit, Reinert “placed a partially smoked possible marijuana cigarette on the roof of her” and “was uneasy exiting her vehicle.” She told deputies “she had cotton mouth from smoking cannabis in her car following a long day of work.” She also told deputies, “I knew I should have waited until I got home. I’m already guilty.”
Deputies tested the cigarette for marijuana, and it yielded a positive result that was higher than a 1% THC content.
Reinert was arrested for DUI (M1), Possession of Marijuana (M1), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (M1). Her criminal history includes an arrest for Armed Robbery and False Imprisonment. Reinert was released on a $1500.00 bond.
Reinert is an ESE middle school teacher for grades 6 through 8 at Stambaugh Middle School in Auburndale.
At around 12:15 a.m., January 23, 2021, deputies responded to a report of a possible impaired driver who crashed into a resident’s mailbox on Berkley Road in Auburndale. Deputies located David Arkuszeski (28-years-old) of Winter Haven, standing outside his vehicle, on the shoulder of Berkley Road near the intersection of Pace Road. There was damage to the vehicle’s windshield and passenger side mirror.
According to the affidavit, when deputies spoke with Arkuszeski, “he was observed to speak with a strong odor of the impurities of alcohol emitting from his breath as he spoke. The suspect spoke with a distinct slurred speech pattern. The suspect was observed to sway (Greater than 2 inches) while standing still.”
Arkuszeski was arrested for DUI with Property Damage (M1) and Leaving the Scene of a Crash with Property Damage (M2). He was transported to the Polk County Jail where his blood alcohol level was recorded as 0.125 and 0.126. Arkuszeski was released on a $750.00 bond.
Arkuszeski is a former Haines City Police Officer who recently resigned from the agency.
“Law enforcement officers and educators are positive role models in our community. It angers me that these two, through their actions this weekend, have tarnished that image.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
HAINES CITY, FL – An Orange County teacher was arrested last weekend on domestic violence charges after striking and scratching the victim.
Gladys Negron-Diaz, 46, was charged with domestic violence battery on Jan. 17 and transported to the Polk County Jail. Negron-Diaz is a teacher at Renaissance Charter School Hunter’s Creek in Orlando. Police responded to the area of Rosedale Road before 11 a.m. Negron-Diaz and the victim had been in a verbal altercation before she struck the victim in the face. She also scratched the victim’s arms and chest. The victim had noticeable bruises near the eyes and fresh scratches to the chest and arm areas when officers arrived. Negron-Diaz told officers that she was in the process of moving to the area and stressed. The victim declined medical attention.
“It’s terribly disappointing to see this type of behavior from an educator entrusted with making a positive impact on the lives of the youth,” Chief Jim Elensky said. “Domestic violence is a serious crime and should always be reported. I applaud our officers for taking swift action to protect the victim and ensure this did not escalate further.”
A 66-year-old Lakeland man was arrested Sunday afternoon by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for a domestic violence charge of battery on a person over the age of 65 (F3).
The victim told the responding deputy that Jamie Collazo Gonzalez grabbed the victim by the neck and pushed her.The victim was not injured. Mr. Collazo Gonzalez told deputies that he is currently employed by Griffin Elementary School in Lakeland as a custodian.
“People who work in a position of public trust are held to a higher standard, and rightly so. In this particular case, this man was arrested for a violent act. Losing his temper and becoming violent is not acceptable behavior for anyone, especially someone who is around a lot of children each day.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff.
Mimi Hardman Collections and Research Center Celebrates Grand Opening With Dedication Ceremony
by James Coulter
More than 25,000 historical items, many dating back to the 1850s, will be stored in a refurbished historic building named after the Lake Wales Historic Museum’s founder.
Mimi Hardman, the late Lake Wales museum director whose endeavors helped contribute to the city’s historic preservation, had her legacy honored through the naming of the Mimi Hardman Collections and Research Center.
The center resides within the former 1916 Seaboard Airline Freight Station. The building resided along the Seaboard Airline Railroad that helped bring people and resources to the city. It was later moved to its current location in 1994.
The former weigh station will now house the museum’s collection of more than 25,000 artifacts, documents, and other historical items, many dating as far back as 1852. As the center serves as an extension to the city’s history museum, it was named in honor of the person who founded.
“Mimi Hardman dedicated her life to the preservation of Lake Wales history and heritage,” the city’s website states. “As the founder of the history museum and champion for historic preservation throughout Florida, Mimi is the reason we now have an unparalleled collection of Lake Wales and Polk County materials in our collection, four historic buildings, three train cars, and five historic districts.”
Mimi Hardman and her legacy were honored during the officialdedication ceremony on Saturday morning. The event was hosted by museum staff and a few city officials, including head librarian Tina Peak.
Peak spoke on behalf of Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson, who was unable to attend due to him and other city commissioners being quarantined after City Mayor Eugene Fultz was tested positive for COVID-19.
As someone who has been tasked with aiding the city’s revitalization, Gibson knows that historic preservation is integralto any revitalization efforts, and thus how the local museum is vital in those efforts.
“Each of our historic building can tell its own story, and the combination of those stories can tell us our history, who we are,and where we came from,” said Peak, speaking on behalf of Gibson. “This building has its own story about our railroad heritage and how the railroads helped the development of the inland Florida peninsula in the early 20th Century.”
While the seaboard railroad tracks have since been uprooted and the sawmill and other settlements reliant upon those rails have since vanished without a trace, the weigh station remains as a reminder of the city’s past.
As such, it was only fitting that the building serves as the home for the many artifacts of the city’s history and heritage and named after the person who aided in the city’s historical preservation through the museum.
“I am sure Mimi would be proud and grateful for this moment and this very important dedication,” Peak said on Gibson’s behalf. “The collection and the research to be conducted in this building will help to preserve the other important stories which combine to form our history, who we are, and what brought us here to this moment in time. Thank you, Mimi. Your story continues.”
The center received more than $33,000 in donations from nearly 70 donors for its refurbishment, explained Travis Chapman with the Friends of the Museum, a local non-profit dedicated to supporting the city’s museum.
The new building is one of the many extensions and refurbishments accomplished through the museum within the past five years, thus indicating their mission to further the city’s historical legacy, explained Jennifer D’Hollander Museum Director.
“We are honored to report that we come out of a major transition stronger, better, and more dedicated ever to the historic preservation of Lake Wales,” she said. “Our goal is to enhance the historic preservation of the museum’s unique collections, facilities, and whole campus that protects Lake Wales heritage and develops the museum as a community anchor.”
JD Alexander, businessman and former Florida Republican politician from Lake Wales, mentioned how the new center exhibits the late Mimi Hardman’s dedication towards historical preservation. He spoke about how her love of the community drove her to preserve its history and heritage to bring the community closer together.
“I want to remind all of us to try and continue the legacy of Mimi Hardman in weaving together that fabric of community, of reaching out and supporting each other and trying to make this place not just a place on the map with a pretty building or a nice museum, but a true community, which is what Mimi Hardman was always about,” he said.
The Mimi Hardman Collections and Research Center is located at 104 S Scenic Hwy, Lake Wales, FL 33853. For more information, call 863-676-1759, or visit their website at: https://cityoflakewales.com/826/Mimi-Hardman-Collections-and-Research-Ce
Lake Morton Plaza Vaccinates Living Assistance Residents
by James Coulter
Peggy Snow is 90 years old. She may not expect to live 90 more years, but she does want to live long enough to see her family in person.
Like many living assistance residents at Lake Morton Plaza in Lakeland, she has remained on lockdown during the COVID-19 crisis to prevent herself and other residents from contracting the disease.
While she loves Lake Morton and considers its staff to be like family members, she yearns to see her other family members. She has seen her two daughters but no one else.
For this reason, Snow was more than eager to finally receive the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine during a mass vaccination event on Thursday and Friday at the living assistance apartment complex.
“It did not hurt at all,” Snow said.
She has lived at Lake Morton Plaza for the past six years. She loves the facility and its residents, but like everyone else, she would love to see her real family safely. Otherwise, she has been doing well, all things considered.
“[I enjoy] just living my life as I have been doing,” she said. “I love my life, and I love where I live.”
Snow was one of the many Lake Morton Plaza residents who received the vaccine last Thursday. As the building is 10-stories tall, half of the residents were vaccinated from the top five to six floors, along with half of the other staff. The other half of residents and staff received the remaining vaccines the next day, explained Ashely Hochadel, Administrator and Executive Director.
“Everyone has been vaccinated,” Hochadel said. “The vaccines went very smoothly. Everything went well. We had everything pre-planned. All the paperwork taken care of ahead of time, they knocked everybody out in three hours.”
The Pfizer vaccine was administered, as it was the brand provided through Walgreens, the pharmacy which Lake Morton Plaza partnered with to administer the vaccinations.
Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are administered through two doses. The second dose will be distributed to residents and staff 21 days later on Feb. 11.
As with most other vaccinations, side effects are expected to be minimal, with a sore arm and headache at the least and flu-like symptoms like fever, chills, and body aches at the worst, Hochadel said.
As such, many residents were hesitant about receiving the vaccine, mostly since it was relatively new. Nevertheless, most, if not all, residents were satisfied, if not finally relieved, to receive protection from an especially deadly virus for them.
“The overall feeling was excitement because this might mean the masks and lockdowns in the assisted living facility might end soon, [and] their families may be able to come and visit them soon,” Hochadel said. “They exceeded expectations. The pharmacists were very efficient. The residents were quick to get up there and in line, we are very happy.”
Signal88 Security Celebrates Grand Opening With Ribbon Cutting
by James Coulter
If there’s something strange in the neighborhood, if there’s something weird and it don’t look good, who you going to call? No, not the Ghostbusters! Call Signal88 Security instead.
Whether you need someone to keep the peace during a big event or keep watch over your commercial or residential property, Signal88 Security is the private security firm that will keep an eye out for you.
Utilizing the latest technology, Signal88 Security has fitted their branded patrol vehicles with reflective graphics, LED lighting, and Wi-Fi communications technology. This state-of-the-art technology allows them to promptly respond to emergency calls when the need arises, thus providing them with “the strongest visual deterrent available in the security industry today.”
No matter what your security needs may be, whether it’s keeping guests safe during a large event or keeping your precious belongings and loved ones safe in the comfort of your home, Signal88 Security provides custom security services that are right for you.
“The vision of Signal 88 Security,” their website states, “is to provide a full suite of world-class and industry-leading security services for residential, commercial, retail, and institutional customers because, quite simply, safety is a basic human right and need.”
Founded in 2003, Signal88 Security recently opened its Lakeland location. George Rios, President and Owner, brings 21 years of military experience as a military patrol officer. His level of expertise, sharpened through the security industry and law enforcement, allows him and his staff to provide top-notch security to everyday civilians.
“All of my men are very well-trained,” he said. “We make sure everybody here is trained and give the clients the best thing in the industry, which is accountability. Our clients can expect accountability from us, top to bottom total professionalism from our guards and myself. The difference is that we can talk with me to get issues resolved.”
Whether patrolling hospitals, construction sites, apartment complexes, HOAs, and other such places, Rios and his team have the gung-ho to ensure that your place of work or home is safe in their accountable hands.
“Thank you for everybody showing up and showing their support,” he told attendees at the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday. “After this, hopefully, you will know more about what we do, how we can help you, and how we can learn to help you, so you can come in and have a talk.”
The Lakeland Chamber of Commerce hosted the ribbon-cutting ceremony to help the new private security firm celebrate its Lakeland branch’s grand opening.
Jason Rodda, a member of the Chamber Board of Directors, wished the new business good luck with their endeavors and hopefully grow their business within their local community.
“On behalf of the board of directors here, we are super excited to have you all at your new location here, to be able to continue to grow and expand your business, and we are here to help you with however we can,” he said.
Signal88 Security is located at 5120 Florida Ave S Suite #301, Lakeland, FL 33813. For more information, call 813-812-0276, or visit their website at: https://signal88.com/locations/security-services-lakeland-fl/
