A Haines City man was flown to a local hospital after
driving on the wrong side of the road and being partially ejected from his
overturned vehicle.
David Rivera Trinidad, 24, of Haines City was driving a 2017
Toyota Corolla southbound in a northbound lane on U.S. 27 near Patterson Road
before 2:40 a.m. on Monday.
Jamise Jones, 26, of Lake Wales was traveling northbound in
the center lane in a 2007 Toyota Camry. Theron Crews, 36, of Lakeland was
traveling northbound in the outside lane in a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado on U.S.
27 when Rivera Trinidad sideswiped the driver’s side of Jones’ vehicle.
Jones’ Camry went off the right side of the roadway before
striking a cable box and coming to a rest in the roadway. Rivera Trinidad
struck Crews head on, but at an angle. Crews said he swerved to avoid the
Corolla before coming to a rest on the roadway.
Rivera Trinidad’s vehicle rolled before coming to a rest on
its roof off the roadway. Rivera Trinidad was not wearing his seatbelt and was
partially ejected from the vehicle. Jones and Crews were wearing seat belts.
Jones and Crews were transported to AdventHealth Heart of
Florida with minor injuries. Rivera Trinidad was airlifted to Osceola Regional
Medical Center where he is in stable condition. He was cited for not wearing a
seat belt and traveling on the wrong side of the road.
The investigation is ongoing. U.S. 27 was closed for about
three hours.
Mulberry, Florida – Around 9:50 p.m. on Sunday, November 15, 2020, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call in reference to a suicidal adult male suspect who posted a Facebook live video with a shotgun to his head, threatening to kill himself. His family contacted law enforcement and PCSO deputies began searching for him.
Around 10:50 p.m., Southwest District deputies, with the help of a PCSO drone, located 33-year-old William Hogeland of Bartow sitting in his vehicle under a bridge on Nichols Road in Mulberry. According to Hogeland’s family, he argued with his wife that evening, then left their Bartow residence; he was drinking alcohol at the time; and he has been dealing with financial and marital issues, and depression. As they approached facing the windshield, they asked him to show his hands. He initially held up both hands, but then reached down and grabbed the shotgun and immediately fired at them through his windshield, striking 32-year-old Deputy Sheriff Joshua Chaves in the arm. All four of the deputies on-scene returned fire, striking him three times. They immediately rendered aid and summoned Polk County Fire Rescue, who transported him to a local hospital via trauma alert. He is in stable condition, and his injuries are non-life-threatening.
Deputy Chaves was also transported to a hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries to his arm, and released. Deputy Chaves was hired as a detention deputy in 2014, and became a patrol deputy in 2015. He’s assigned to the Southwest District. Hogeland has been Baker Acted twice, once in May 2019 and once in May 2020. He is being provided with mental health treatment, and the investigation into pending charges is ongoing.
Standard protocol for all deputy-involved shootings will include three independent investigations. The PCSO homicide unit will conduct an investigation of the shooting. PCSO Administrative Investigations will conduct an administrative inquiry. The State Attorney’s Office will conduct a separate investigation. Per agency protocol, all members involved will be on administrative leave with pay during the initial phase of the investigation.
The deputies involved, in addition to Deputy Chaves, are: 31-year-old Deputy Sheriff Charles Wallace, a 6.5-year veteran of PCSO; 24-year-old Deputy Sheriff Christopher Paul, a 1.5-year veteran of PCSO, and 38-year-old Deputy Sheriff Adam Raulerson, a 6.5-year veteran of PCSO. All involved deputies are CIT certified (Crisis Intervention Training).
On
Saturday, November 14, 2020, PCSO detectives arrested 18-year-old Angel Lobato
and 19-year-old Jo “JoJo” Lobato, on Polk County warrants related to
the homicide of 21-year-old Danne Frazier of Lakeland. Upon their arrest, they
confessed to killing Frazier, and have been charged with his murder.
Currently
their charges are:
First
degree murder (FC) (no bond)
Armed
robbery (FL) (no bond)
Conspiracy
to commit first degree murder (F1) (no bond) Accessory after the fact of a
capital felony (F1) ($30,000 bond) Giving false information during a capital
investigation (F3) ($5,000 bond) Grand theft of a motor vehicle (F3) ($5,000 bond)
2
counts tampering with evidence (F3) ($5,000 bond each) Burglary of a vehicle
(F3) ($5,000 bond)
Additionally,
their accomplice, 19-year-old Scott Engle was arrested on Thursday, November
12, 2020, for:
Accessory
after the fact of a capital felony (F1) ($50,000 bond) Tampering with evidence
(F3) ($15,000 bond) Grand theft of a motor vehicle (F3) ($1,000 bond)
2
counts criminal use of personal ID (F3) ($1,000 bond each) Possession of a
stolen credit card (M2) ($1,000 bond)
Original Release:
Lake Wales, Florida – A manhunt was underway for two Florida teenage men who were wanted in connection to a body found in a Lake Wales orange grove. The two were considered “armed and dangerous.”
The teenage men were identified as Angel Lobato, 18, and 19-year-old JoJo Lobato. They were wanted in connection to the death of 21-year-old Danne Frazier.
Investigators said family members reported Frazier, of Lakeland, missing on Nov. 4. Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies found his body in an orange grove in Lake Wales on Nov. 10.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office a tip was provided and the two teenage men were captured in Lake Wales where the were hiding out. It was thought the two could have been in Volusia or Flagler County.
The teenage men were wanted for questioning because deputies in Flagler County pulled over a reported missing person’s car (Danne Frazier’s) on U.S. 1 on Nov. 6. The sheriff’s office said the driver, later identified as JoJo Lobato, ran from the traffic stop. Angel Lobato stayed at the car but refused to talk to deputies. Deputies did not have probable cause to charge Lobato with a crime and let him go. Days later, when investigators learned about the discovery of the body of the missing person, they put out an alert for the Lobato brothers. The car has since been impounded for evidence.
The two are facing charges of Grand Theft Of A Motor Vehicle, Vehicle Burglary, Giving False Information During A Capital Felony, Tampering With Evidence, & Accessory After The Fact Of A Capital Investigation. At this time. Additional charges are expected.
*Editors Note: We expect more information to be released Monday morning.
PCSO deputies arrested 28-year-old Jose Antonio Perez Jimenez (DOB 5/3/92) of Davenport for one count each of leaving the scene of a crash involving death and operating a motor vehicle without a driver’s license, after a crash during the early morning hours of Saturday, November 14, 2020, in unincorporated Davenport.
According to the investigation so far, Jimenez was driving a grey 2013 Chevy Silverado truck at a high rate of speed southbound on U.S. Hwy 27 approaching a red light. An orange 2020 Yamaha motorcycle being driven by 58-year-old Juan Santos of Davenport was stopped behind a black 2009 Nissan Versa at the red light. Jimenez failed to stop, and his truck hit Santos’ motorcycle, propelling Santos over 180 feet and into the intersection with Legacy Park Boulevard. The Nissan was struck by the motorcycle, but that driver did not sustain any injuries. Santos was deceased upon the arrival of first responders.
After impact, Jimenez fled the scene on foot, but was located at his home on Country World Drive West in Davenport. He admitted to deputies that he had been involved in a crash, and that he fled because he does not have a driver’s license. Further charges are pending the outcome of the investigation. The roadway was closed for approximately five hours.
Jimenez was taken to a local hospital to be medically cleared prior to being booked into the Polk County Jail.
November 17th, 2020 – 4:00pm
Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85601214655?pwd=c0sxci9uejRReGZLSnE1OStjT0RhZz09
Meeting ID: 856 0121 4655
Passcode: P3hTvw
This meeting is open to the public. Please use the Zoom Meeting ID and Password above to join the meeting.
Lake Wales Police are investigating a shooting involving a Winter Haven teen that occurred late yesterday evening in the Lake Wales Housing Authority Grove Manor complex. The call came in at approximately 10:10 pm and officers quickly arrived to find a 17-year-old black male in the parking lot suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was flown to an area hospital and his injuries are not life threatening.
Police learned that crowds had gathered in the parking area of the complex when a late model gray Hyundai occupied by multiple black males drove past the crowds. At least one of the occupants opened fire towards two different groups that had congregated, striking the victim along with several vehicles. This investigation is active and police are urging anyone with information to contact Detective Amanda Ayers at (863) 678-4223 Ext. 264 or Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS (8477). You may be eligible for a reward and can remain anonymous.
More Than 200 Spaghetti Dinners Sold At Lake Wales Women’s Club Fundraiser
by James Coulter
They may not have been able to host a grand banquet like they normally do every year, but the Lake Wales Women’s Club were still able to serve up spaghetti dinners for hungry locals.
More than 220 tickets were sold prior to the fundraiser on Thursday evening. As such, more than 220 spaghetti dinners had been prepared and ready to provide through takeout.
Customers pulled up outside the Lake Wales Women’s Clubhouse where they received their paper bag filled with a spaghetti dinner, including pasta with meat sauce, breadsticks, and a pre-made salad. Gluten-free and marinara sauce alternative options were available upon request.
More than 20 volunteers worked inside to assemble the dinners and hand them out when the customers arrived. Everyone made sure to social distance and wear masks while volunteering.
“We have been very successful,” said Susan Connors, a Women’s Club member. “I think it is great. We have done over 100 meals [within the past half hour), and the driveway is constantly filling up.”
More than three days were spent preparing the meals beforehand at individual homes. Preparation was set up so that everyone worked on a separate aspect of the meal. For example, for the salad, one person cut up cucumbers, while another prepared the lettuce, and everyone brought their prepared items to the clubhouse.
“So they were in their own homes without putting more people together,” Connors said. “We are trying not to have more than six or eight people in a room.”
While preparing food ahead of time was its own challenge, the biggest challenge was spreading the word about the annual fundraiser. In previous years, the Women’s Club was able to speak person-to-person at local businesses, but due to the COVID-19 crisis, such personal contact was limited, Connors said.
“In COVID, it has been difficult because a lot of us do not meet face-to-face right now, so it was all word-of-mouth,” she said. “This year has been a lack of person-to-person contact, when you go up to an individual in one of our local businesses and ask them if you will support us this year, there has not been the face to face this year.”
The Lake Wales Women’s Club, which was first created in 1913, has been hosting these dinners once or twice a year for the past 15 to 20 years. Each year, more than 25 to 30 pounds of spaghetti are cooked to serve the hungry participants, as reported by the Daily Ridge last year.
Proceeds from the event will go towards supporting their projects as well as financing their building mainentence, as Connors explained: “We have not been able to rent our facilities since March and our rentals were a major force for our funding. This year our main focus is to fund TWO scholarships to high school seniors, sponsor 2 candidates for Hoby, and to establish a Juniorette program for high school seniors.”
Lake Wales, Florida – Residents in East Lake Wales were greeted to the sounds of sirens Thursday afternoon. Those sirens were Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies headed to a car chase on S.R. 60. According to the Lake Wales Police Department and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office a Lake Wales man was arrested for Grand Theft of Motor Vehicle, Fleeing To Elude, multiple counts of Contributing To Delinquency of A Minor, Child Abuse (endangerment), unarmed burglary and other charges.
According to the PCSO a red Hyundai Elantra was stolen on 11/7/2020. It was a rental car being used by a survey crew and it has North Carolina plates. Through the coarse of the next several days the car and a black male driving the car would be linked to multiple robberies in Lake Wales and Winter Haven.
On 11/12/20 a home owner in the area of Capps Rd. Found a man stealing a UPS package from his back door. The suspect now identified as Ernest McKnight III got into a red Hyundai Elantra and proceeded to leave the scene. The home owner followed the suspect. A Lake Wales K9 officer was heading to the scene to assist deputies when he saw the stolen vehicle. The officer attempted a traffic stop and the vehicle fled.
The LWPD Officer and PCSO deputies gave pursuit. The suspect drove East on S.R. 60 before pulling off onto Tiger Creek Rd. The suspect then turned down Lake Rosalie Rd. and eventually Tupelo Ln. According to reports the suspect then fled the vehicle along with a minor child and broke into an unoccupied home on Tupelo Ln.
The LWPD Officer and PCSO Deputies were able to talk the suspect out of the home without further incident. The suspect was not armed.
McKnight has a long history of criminal arrests. He was transported to Polk County Jail.
PCSO Lieutenant Raised More Than $87,000 For Central Florida Hearing And Speech Clinic
by James Coulter
By day, Lt. Jim Ostojic serves his community through law enforcement as a lieutenant for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout the year, on his off-time, he spent more than 200 hours raising money for the Central Florida Speech and Hearing Center.
Lt. Ostojic raised more than $87,000 fundraising for the Center’s annual fundraiser, Mr. Central Florida. He shattered so many records through his volunteer efforts that he was named the titular title of this year’s Mr. Central Florida.
He was one of the 22 contestants who competed in this year’s fundraiser. To celebrate his victory, he hosted a victory lunch at Beef O’Brady’s in Lakeland on Tuesday, and was officially crowned during a ceremony on Thursday.
He was handpicked personally to enter the contest by the Honorable Sheriff Grady Judd himself. Lt. Ostojic was proud to serve on behalf of the PCSO, as well as to further support his community by raising proceeds that will go towards providing 80 children with hearing tests and aids.
“It really feels good to win Mr. Central Florida,” Lt. Ostojicsaid. “I think the most I enjoy about this is knowing that all of the kid who need hearing aids will be getting them. I think that is important. That is why I put in 200 hours of my own time to make sure that this was accomplished.”
Daniel Bourque, General Manager of the Lakeland Beef O’Brady’s, has known Lt. Jim for the past 11 years he has worked at the eatery. Jim often frequents Beef O’Brady’s with his family, and has proven himself to be a very valuable member of the community.
Beef O’Brady’s has hosted different functions and fundraisers for the Center, including a wing eating contest. The establishment’s owner even served as Jim’s campaign manager. As such, Bourque and the other staff members could not be any prouder of Jim winning the tile of Mr. Central Florida.
“I don’t think it could have happened to a better person,” Borquesaid. “Jim is a good guy. He cares about the kids so much, he raised so much money to help so many kids. It is phenomenal. He is dependable. If you call him, he is there, he is willing to give you advice, talk to you, as well as anything else you need. We really like having him come in here. It makes our day better when he shows up.”
Channon Eickenberg, Development Director for the Center, was especially proud of this year’s Mr. Central Florida event. Despite occurring during these uncertain times, the fundraiser and individual contestants managed to shatter previous records. This year’s event raised more than $256,000, she said.
“Jim was very motivated and worked hard on this,” Eickenbergsaid. “The money he raised had never been raised before, and it shattered all records.”
Due to the COVID crisis, the ceremony was hosted via livestream, with the stream being broadcast on its website and at the Silver Moon Drive-In in Lakeland. Even without a live event, the award ceremony received such a virtual turnout that next year’s event will also be planned to be livestreamed.
“The gentleman were able to rally the audience and engage with our guests, and it was a lively event,” she said. “Everyone enjoyed getting out of the house with a safe social distancing. I thank everyone who supported the event.”
More Than 200-Year-Old Army Veteran Honored At Haines City Veteran’s Day Ceremony
by James Coulter
The name Zebulon Montgomery Pike may not ring a bell, but if you’ve ever visited Colorado, chances are you know of Pikes Peak, a mountain named after him.
Under the authority of Thomas Jefferson, Brigadier General Zebulon Montgomery Pike led two westward expeditions following the Louisiana Purchase. During one expedition, he crossed the Rocky Mountains and explored the territory now known as Colorado. This achievement earned him the honor of having Pikes Peak named after him.
During his service, he was captured by the Spanish colonial authorities near Santa Fe, taken to the territory that is now Mexico to be interrogated, and was later released near Louisiana. His exploits he wrote in a book published in 1810 and translated in Dutch, German, and French.
As a Brigadier General who served 14 years in the U.S. Army, Pike served in the War of 1812. He was killed with many American troops while leading an attack in the Battle of York in 1813.
Nearly 200 years after his death, his legacy was recognized in Haines City during their annual Veteran’s Day Celebration on Wednesday, where Pike was named Veteran of the Year. The City will install a plaque in his honor, and his descendants received the award in his honor.
Cynthia Morrison, one of his descendants, was proud that Haines City recognized the valiant efforts of her ancestor. She learned about the harsh conditions he and his men faced during his expeditions, battling both frostbite and hunger. She is humbled that his efforts helped aid the Westward Expansion.
“They say you cannot choose your family,” she said. “I want to say that I thank you all mightily for letting Zebulon be part of mine. I am very proud of him that he had such a role in developing this country.”
Pike was one of many veterans honored during the annual Haines City Veterans Day Ceremony on Wednesday. The ceremony was initially planned to be hosted at Railroad Park in Downtown Haines City, but due to inclement weather, the event was moved indoors to the Haines City Public Library.
The ceremony opened with the pledge of allegiance, national anthem, and an invocation provided by Arnulfo Gomez, a National Guard veteran and pastor of Rooted Outreach Ministries. The Haines City High School JROTC led the presentation of colors and organizational colors, which included recognizing the newest branch of the military, Space Force.
Gary Clark, a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel and chairman Polk County Veterans Council, served as the guest speaker during the event. He spoke of many aspects of the military, including the importance of Space Force.
As someone who served in the Air Force during the 1980s, he was involved with the creation of Air Force Space Command in Colorado. There he oversaw the procedures in the war room with detecting ballistic missiles during Project Desert Storm. From launch to impact, a missile could travel within 60 to 70 seconds; during that time, identifying the missile takes 10 seconds. Time was of the essence to detect, identify, and stop these missiles, he said.
His experience within Air Force Space Command helped him recognize the importance of Space Force. With more and more countries venturing into space for military purposes, the United States needs to catch up with the rest of them and be prepared.
“Space represents another field of combat that we need to prepare for,” Clark said. “We are concerned with what happens in space. China is a competitor. China is working hard. We know. We know they have the technology.”
Mayor Morris West allowed his grandson, Austin, from Dundee Ridge Middle School, to say a few words on behalf of local veterans. The young lad commended them for their valiantefforts to defend their country abroad.
“I would like to thank all the brave men and women for their service and what they did for this country and how great they were in participating in the army and putting their life on the line,” he said.
The Mayor likewise shared his own gratitude towards local veterans. He expressed the need for every city to aid those who had served their country, and explained how his own city has done likewise.
“You are part of an unbroken chain who served this country for the lives of our nation,” Mayor Morris said. “Today we remember and say thank you to all who made the ultimate sacrifice…Therefore, all should receive all the care, the honor that you deserve. Every city across this great nation should help our veterans by providing them jobs and care that they need when they return home. We, the City of Haines City, provide jobs and places to live and raise a family.”
Congressman Darren Soto appeared at the event to offer a few remarks about veterans. He and his office have worked with many veterans and veterans’ hospitals to ensure that those who served their country receive the care they require. As they served their country, so, too, must their country serve them.
“We are proud to serve those who have served,” Soto said. “You and your families have sacrificed so much in defense of our country, and we thank you so much for your service. The story of American heroism continues, it keeps going. It continues to this day.”
