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Lakeland Man Arrested For Luring a 16-Year-Old Girl To Have Sex With Him Through an Online Relationship

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Lakeland Man Arrested For Luring a 16-Year-Old Girl To Have Sex With Him Through an Online Relationship
PCSO arrested 36-year-old John Waldau of Savannah Avenue, Lakeland for having sex with a minor, whom he groomed on-line through sexually explicit communication. He was arrested on December 31st and charged with the following:

* One count sexual activity older than 24 with a victim 16 or 17 (F2)
* Two counts transmitting material Harmful to a minor (F3)
* One count  unlawful Use of a 2-way communication device (F3)
* One count traveling to meet after using a computer to lure a child (F2)

Waldau is being held in the Polk County Jail in lieu of $40,000 bond.

Detectives began investigating when two tips were received from NCMEC (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) regarding 3 sexually explicit images of an unknown girl being transmitted on Facebook Private Message.

Through investigative means detectives were able to identify John Waldau of Lakeland as having possession of the sexually explicit photos. Detectives learned that Waldau began an online relationship with the minor whom he had known through another relationship with an adult. He cultivated and transitioned the online relationship into a sexually explicit one that led to sexual intercourse occurring at his home at least 3 times. He sent multiple nude images of himself and asked her to send sexually explicit images of herself, which she did.

On December 31, 2018, detectives conducted an interview with the 16-year-old victim. The victim disclosed to detectives she and 36-year-old John Waldau had engaged in sexual intercourse during the summer of 2018. She also told detectives she exchanged sexually explicit photos with Waldau.

Also on the 31st, detectives located Mr. Waldau at his residence. Mr. Waldau admitted that he and the 16-year-old victim had engaged in sexual intercourse 3 times, all at his residence, without a condom, which he further said he knew was wrong.

Mr. Waldau stated the victim would sneak out to see him, without the knowledge of others late at night or would tell others that she was going to a friend’s house. Mr. Waldau also said he and the victim did exchange nude photographs/videos over Facebook Messenger and he knew it was wrong but couldn’t stop himself.

Mr. Waldau has been employed with the City of Lakeland for 18 years and works in the Public Works Department.

“Waldau is a classic sexual predator who cultivates a relationship with a child online and then turns that relationship into a sexually explicit one. He knowingly and cunningly took advantage of this girl. We encourage parents to actively monitor their children’s online activities so they can help protect their children from predators like Waldau.” – Grady Judd, Sherriff

Mountain Lake: A Look Inside Building a Legacy

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Mountain Lake: A Look Inside Building a Legacy

Mountain Lake: A Look Inside Building a Legacy

by James Coulter

Have you ever heard of Mountain Lake Estates? It’s a small community about five minutes away from Lake Wales, but even many Lake Wales residents haven’t heard of it.

In fact, the Lake Wales Museum has received many questions about Mountain Lake Estates that they decided to create an exhibit detailing the history of the community and its connection to Lake Wales.

“It is all about the history of the Mountain Lake Community and the perseverance for them to get the community started…and all the wonderful ways they have contributed to Lake Wales,” said Jennifer D’Hollander, Museum Director.

“Mountain Lake: A Look Inside Building a Legacy” will be hosted at the museum until Feb. 16, 2019. The exhibit showcases the history of Mountain Lake Estates, one of the oldest private golf and estate communities in the country, with photographs, memorabilia, and other artifacts donated from local institutions, many of which were founded by members of the estates.

Throughout the years, many members of the private community have contributed to Lake Wales, helping to found local institutions such as Bok Tower Gardens and Vanguard School, as well as provide funding towards them, especially with the local museum and library.

One such member, Fredrick Olmstead, Jr., was a famous landscape architect who not only helped design Mountain Lake, but also performed surveying for the city itself, explained Bartholomew DelCamp, Museum Curator.

“If we didn’t have Mountain Lake here, then Lake Wales would look drastically different then how we have it today,” he said.

DelCamp proposed the idea for the exhibit and moved forwards bringing it into development through research and collaboration with local institutions such as Bok Tower Gardens, Vanguard School, and Mountain Lake Estates.

DelCamp himself has worked at the estates for 12 years now, currently working within the archives part-time when not serving as the museum curator. His work within the archives has allowed him to gain information about potential artifacts, as well as obtain them for the exhibit.

“People were more than willing to help out with the exhibit when I explained what it was for,” he said. “And they were willing to lend us artifacts such as the photographs and some of the uniforms and other things.”

Through his own research, DelCamp uncovered many interesting aspects about the community. Most notably, he learned about its overall perseverance even within the toughest times, from its founder’s suicide to the loss of many local orange groves over the years.

“But no matter what happened to them, Mountain Lake has always managed to persevere and survive as a community, and it is really interesting to see how they have done that,” he said.

Overall, the museum hopes that the exhibit will enlighten both local residents and visitors about the history of the local Mountain Lake community and the influence it had upon the history of Lake Wales itself.

“What all of us can learn is that…to look inside and understand what that community is and how they have contributed to the community as a whole, like building a legacy, and that legacy is Lake Wales,” D’Hollander said.

“Mountain Lake: A Look Inside Building a Legacy” will be hosted at the Lake Wales Museum until Feb. 16, 2019. The museum is located at 325 S Scenic Hwy, Lake Wales, FL 33853, and provides free public admission daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

As part of the exhibit, the museum will be hosting a History Talk lecture later this month on Jan. 31 at 6 p.m., with a discussion about the history and legacy of the local community followed by light refreshments. The event will be free to the public.

For more information, visit their website at: http://www.cityoflakewales.com/439/Depot-Museum

Missing ATV Rider Found Dead Along S.R. 60 In East Lake Wales

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Missing ATV Rider Found Dead Along S.R. 60 In East Lake Wales

Polk County Sheriff’s Office Press Release

22-year-old Boca Raton man dies in early morning ATV crash in River Ranch area in Southeast Polk County

On the afternoon of New Year’s day, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a missing person who had last been seen riding an ATV early New Year’s day around 3:00 a.m. A search for 22-year-old Matthew Ryan McGrath of Boca Raton was initiated.

At around 5:40 p.m. an off duty Frostproof Fireman saw an ATV on its side in a water filled ditch along the 19000 block of SR 60. A person was trapped underneath the ATV, deceased. PCSO responded to this location and determined the crashed ATV matched the description of one operated by Mr. McGrath and they positively identified Mr. McGrath.

The investigation indicates that Matthew R. McGrath was operating a 2019, Green Can Am ATV, westbound in a shallow ditch that runs parallel along the south side of SR 60. As the ATV travelled west, it drove off a slight drop off into a water filled portion of the ditch. The ATV flipped onto its right side, ejecting Mr. McGrath into approximately 18 inches of water.

The ATV landed on top of him, trapping him underneath. The ditch sits about 30 feet south of SR 60 and approximately 6 feet below the road. Mr. McGrath was not wearing a helmet or other protective equipment at the time of the crash. The ATV was equipped with lights. The cause and manner of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner’s Office.

Polk County Sheriffs Office Investigating Pedestrian Struck & Killed By Train Near Combee Rd

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Polk County Sheriffs Office Investigating Pedestrian Struck & Killed By Train Near Combee Rd

Update: Polk County Sheriffs Office Press Release
Deputies are investigating the death of a pedestrian who was struck by CSX freight train.

At around 4 a.m., on January 2, 2019, in the area of Combee Road and Highway 92, a freight train struck and killed 58-year-old Randolph Eugene Rhymes of Lakeland. Video on the train shows him lying between the rails between Fish Hatchery Road and Combee Road. Deputies believe he was possibly sleeping when he was hit. No foul play is suspected.

Not far from the incident, deputies found copper wire, gloves and pliers.

All railroad crossings are now re-open.

 

Original Release:

We are investigating a fatality related to a train hitting a pedestrian in the area of Combee Road and Highway 92.

Railroad Crossings with be shut down for several hours including Fairway Avenue, Combee Road, Fish Hatchery Road, and Reynolds Road.

Mulberry Teacher Arrested For Driving Under The Influence

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Mulberry Teacher Arrested For Driving Under The Influence

Polk County Sheriffs Office Press Release

Mulberry Teacher arrested for driving under the influence

On December 31, 2018, deputies pulled over a woman for driving the wrong way in Lakeland.

 

Tasha Fisher 45, of Lakeland, was traveling northbound in the southbound lane of Florida Avenue South and Christina Boulevard West in Lakeland just before midnight.

 

A PCSO deputy stopped her and observed obvious signs of impairment and arrested her.

 

During the interview, Fisher admitted to taking three 20 mg generic Ambien prior to driving her vehicle.  Fisher stated she normally takes only one but was having issues sleeping so she took more than recommended.

 

Fisher is a 4th grade teacher at Kingsford Elementary in Mulberry.

“This shows the danger of taking above the recommended dosage of prescription medication. We are fortunate that a deputy saw the abnormal driving and made a traffic stop.  Never take the risk of driving under the influence of any anything.” – Sheriff, Grady Judd

 

Fisher is charged with driving under the influence.

Man Arrested In Haines City Walmart For Grand Theft On Christmas Eve

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Man Arrested In Haines City Walmart For Grand Theft On Christmas Eve

Haines City, Florida – A 35 year old Winter Haven man was arrested about 4pm on Christmas Eve, December 24, in connection with the theft of $732.62 in merchandise and groceries from Walmart in Haines City.

Spider Wrapping

According to a Haines City Police Department arrest affidavit a suspect, Jair Perez DOB:01/29/1983, selected various items in the electronics department, food items and general merchandise. He placed those items in a shopping cart. A Walmart Asset Protection Associate allegedly saw Perez taking off spider wrapping off several tools he put into his cart. At that time the Walmart Asset Protection Associate contact Haines City Police.

Perez took the items in the shopping cart, proceeded to the customer service desk where he returned wipes and Huggies pampers for a refund of $15.41 which was tendered to him in cash. After Perez conducted the alleged fraudulent return he attempted to exited through the grocery entrance at which time he observed an employee checking receipts. Perez then allegedly turned around and proceeded to the general merchandise exit and began exiting crossing all final points of sale without attempting to pay for the merchandise inside his shopping cart. The suspect was apprehended by several officers from the Haines City Police Department along with the Walmart Asset Protection Associate. Perez was escorted to the loss prevention office without incident.

According to the arrest affidavit a criminal history check was ran on Perez which shows he has one prior felony theft conviction dated 12/07/2012 from Lakeland Police Department. Perez allegedly confessed to that he stole the merchandise because he was desperate and does not have a job.

Perez was transported to the Polk County Jail without incident. He was charged with one count of grand theft. Bail was set at $1,000.

Next Level Planning & Permitting Opens New Location

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Next Level Planning & Permitting Opens New Location

Next Level Planning & Permitting Opens New Location

by James Coulter

With a new year comes new plans. If your plans for this year include developing projects within the county, you can receive some help from a new land development consulting service in its new location.

Next Level Planning & Permitting recently celebrated the grand opening of its new location in Lakeland during its ribbon cutting ceremony earlier this month.

The new company offers professional land development consulting services such as land planning and permitting to developers, architects, contractors, and other clients throughout the 70 municipalities in Polk County and the unincorporated areas.

Owner Sarah Case brings with her 24 years of experience within the industry. Having started within a civil engineering firm within Winter Haven, she has since gained the confidence within her own skills to start her own company.

“For the last decade, she has been instrumental in numerous planning services projects within the surrounding area,” according to a report from The Ledger.

Both she and her partner, Lyndsey Ladewig, expect to utilize their combined decades of experience to offer guidance on land development sites within the area for projects that are commercial, residential, and industrial.

For Case, her experience within the industry, especially with navigating the land development code through a comprehensive plan, has allowed her to garner loyal customers who have been more than willing to share their experiences of her services through word of mouth.

“We have very loyal customers who have followed me from every firm and they know that we will go above and beyond to make everything happen for them for their permitting situations and issues that they may have,” she said.

She hopes that the new location of her company will allow for even better visibility, and with it will come new opportunities for land development within the local area.

“I love this community, and we have a good rapport with the city commission and county commission, we are so blessed to have been in business this long, and we are excited to have this new venture,” she said.

On December 5, staff members of Next Level Planning and Permitting and board members of the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce dedicated the new location through a ribbon cutting ceremony.

The event also included a tour of the new facility and the offering of refreshments, including a special purple drink colored after the business’ official colors.

Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz commented how the new location along the highway would provide the business with better visibility, and with it, better access for customers both old and new.

“We know that your expertise is broadly available, and we are excited to see it continue to grow and flourish,” he said.

Shelly Wilkes, Chamber Board of Directors Member, also appreciated the new facility and the greater opportunity it will provide for the business within the local area.

“New businesses coming to Lakeland will always make the community stronger, and I think Next Level Permitting and Planning is one of those with great leadership and will bring another point of business and opportunity for growth for other businesses to the Lakeland community,” she said.

Next Level Planning & Permitting is located at 3825 S Florida Ave, Ste 4, Lakeland, FL 33813. For more information, call 863-226-1001.

BOATWRIGHT EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH AT LAKE WALES MEDICAL CENTER

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BOATWRIGHT EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH AT LAKE WALES MEDICAL CENTER

BOATWRIGHT EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH

 

Lake Wales, FL – Emergency Department nurse Shaunda Boatwright, RN, was named Employee of the Month for November at Lake Wales Medical Center.

Boatwright, who has worked at LWMC since 2006, was lauded for her leadership and her excellent patient care skills. She was a champion of the hospital’s efforts to improve ER wait time, devoting countless hours to helping develop and implement initiatives to improve the patient experience.

“Her strategy and approach has made this process the way we operate, not because it’s what our organization wants us to do, but because it’s what we, as caregivers, want to do for our citizens of Lake Wales and others that seek us in desperate times,” said Darren Dubecky, Director of Emergency Services. “Team members all agree that when Shaunda’s name is on the assignment board, the night will truly be a good one for everyone. Shaunda will always make time, anytime, to help others.”

 

The Grinch Celebrates Christmas At Kairos Church

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The Grinch Celebrates Christmas At Kairos Church

The Grinch Celebrates Christmas At Kairos Church

by James Coulter

All the Whos down in Whoville love Christmas a lot, and for the folks over at Kairos Church, it’s especially hot. So the green Grinch himself this holiday season decided to stop by and celebrate the reason.

Having recently celebrated its one-year anniversary, Kairos Church celebrated Christmas for the second year in a row with a spectacular holiday celebration on Sunday with free food, games, and other holiday activities.

The Sunday morning of the event featured two identical sermons at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Each had the children’s church perform Christmas songs such as “The Little Drummer Boy”, followed by Pastor Brent Wernsing preaching a message about the Three Wise Men offering their gifts to the “unexpected King and Savior.”

After each sermon, the congregation were dismissed to the outdoor celebration area, themed this year to “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” with Whoville decorations, a crooked Grinch Christmas tree, and live character appearances by Cindy Loo Who and the Grinch himself.

Church members could meet and greet with the two Grinch characters, as well as have a photograph taken with them with a complimentary 4×6 print.

Guests of all ages could decorate their own Christmas cookies and treat themselves to a free cup of hot cocoa at the cocoa bar, where they could top their hot chocolate with whipped cream, sprinkles, and whatever other special toppings they wanted.

Children could play around in sudsy fake snow created by the snow machines, take a ride on a holiday train, jump into and play within a snow ball pit, and even frolic around in an inflatable snow globe.

Pastor Wernsing hosted the event as a way to not only offer his congregation holiday fun, but also to draw in other potential church members into his flock. At least 40 new members attended that day, he said.

“It more than exceeded expectations,” he said. “The expectation is to let people know we have a lot of fun going on and they are welcome to come for the fun, but really it is an effort to hear a message about Jesus Christ.”

Having originally opened last October at Chain of Lakes Complex, the church had recently moved their services to Chain of Lakes Elementary School. The new location offers them double the size and space than their previous location, especially with new rooms for their children’s church classes.

The new location also offers them more space for their holiday activities, as they were able to provide a train ride this year. They had planned on adding inflatable bounce houses, but since those are not allowed on their property, they opted for a ball pit and inflatable snow globe, Pastor Wernsing explained.

Throughout the year, the church has hosted similar events for other holidays and special occasions such as Easter, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day. They also help participate within the annual Community Fest in Downtown Winter Haven.

Being able to reach out to the local community and provide them with a family-friendly church enviroment has been the key towards the church’s growth, and they hope to bring in even more new members, Pastor Wernsing said.

With the new space afforded to them, they were able to get even more creative with the decorations and offerings for this year’s Christmas event.

Stephanie Gladura, Event Planner and Administrative Assistant, utilized the experience they had hosting previous events to better prepare for this one.

“We learned a lot about events because we have to do it to learn from it, and I think we have been able to figure out what other people enjoy,” she said. “The atmosphere they [the characters] create is just really fun. It feels like a real Whoville…I love seeing people come together with the holiday spirit, families enjoying their time together.”

Kim McCrady was one of the many volunteers who helped put on the event, serving as a “go to” person to do anything and everything from parking to setting up the food and decorations.

She started attending the church earlier that year around Easter, and has remained due to the overall friendly enviroment of the church family.

“It was a new church, and they were very welcoming, you don’t feel like it was your first time, everybody is just so kind and sweet with open arms,” she said. “It is a great atmosphere and a great way to find God-like people.”

Kairos Church hosts its Sunday services at Chain of Lakes Elementary School, located at 7001 SR 653 Winter Haven, Fl 33884.

For more information, visit their website at: http://www.kairoschurch.cc/

Santa Claus Visits Haines City Fire Department For Third Year

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Santa Claus Visits Haines City Fire Department For Third Year

Santa Claus Visits Haines City Fire Department For Third Year

by James Coulter

After making his list, checking it twice, and finding out who was naughty and nice, Santa Claus was coming to town—the town of Haines City, that is!

For the third consecutive year, Santa Claus traveled more than 4,000 miles from his home in North Pole, Alaska to visit the good girls and boys in Haines City.

On Saturday evening, the Jolly Man in Red stopped by to visit the red fire engines at the city fire department, where he greeted hundreds of local girls and boys with their families during the third annual Santa at the Station event.

When not visiting Santa to tell them their Christmas wish and take photographs with him, the children enjoyed other fun holiday activities at the station, such as eating cookies, drinking hot chocolate, filling in coloring pages, and even writing letters to Santa himself.

They could also take a tour of the station with their families to take a closer look at the facility, especially the big fire truck, which had its ladder extended and lights flashing out front that evening.

“We take every advantage that we can to let people see the firetrucks and let them know what we do…so we use this as a teaching opportunity,” said Joseph Kahles, Active Battalion Chief.

Since first starting three years ago, the event has become an annual tradition at the local fire department, and it had slowly grown in attendance each and every year since then, Chief Kahles said.

More than 150 children appeared with their guardians during the first hour of the event, and more than 900 people on Facebook had expressed their interested in attending the event that evening, Chief Kahles said.

“I think it is a family atmosphere,” he said. “You will see firefighters out there playing with the kids. Some of the firefighters even bring their families here off duty.”

Aside from simply offering local families a fun evening of free holiday fun, the event also allows local residents an opportunity to visit their fire department and see how their local firefighters help serve their community.

“That is the biggest thing: to let them know that their fire department is here, and everybody is welcome to come see us anytime any day of the week,” Chief Kahles said. “They can come by, this is a family place, this is the city fire department, so we want them to come and see and know what we do.”

Kahles and his crew put in a lot of effort beforehand to ensure that the event is pulled off well that evening.

One such employee, Holly Gorsline, Executive Assistant, sees that effort firsthand herself whenever she visits with her own children.

For the past two years, she and her three children have been dropping by to visit Santa Claus and let them know what they want for Christmas. This year, it was a desk, toy train, and mini tools.

“A lot goes into it,” she said. “It is a lot of planning, a lot of patience, getting everything together the day before, and plan ahead to make sure everyone has a great time.”

For Kelly and Pedro Espinal, two local residents with their three children, this year was their very first visit, having recently learned about it after seeing it advertised within The Daily Ridge.

Not only did the event allow their two oldest children to ask for dolls and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but it allowed them an opportunity to visit the downtown area.

“We loved Santa Claus, he was our favorite guy,” Pedro said.

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