Wanted Felon Accused Of Strangling Woman Was Shot By Winter Haven Police
This is a follow-up to the initial release of the officer-involved shooting in Winter Haven this morning.
On 11/10/22 at approximately 3:52 a.m., officers responded to an apartment at Haven at Lake Deer involving a female who had been strangled and pushed into a wall by 43 year-old Jason Pickles (DOB 5/19/79). Pickles had an outstanding warrant from an incident that occurred on 10/25/22 for Felony Battery Prior Conviction.
When officers arrived, Pickles had already left the property. A complaint affidavit was issued for Pickles regarding this case. Through the early morning hours, officers continued to monitor the location and when Pickles returned to the apartment, officers attempted to have him step out of his vehicle.
Pickles refused to exit the vehicle and sped off. Officers located Pickles again in an apartment complex parking lot when Pickles sped through the parking area towards one of the officers. The officer, in fear for his safety and safety of the public, fired his department-issued weapon striking Pickles.
Pickles continued through the lot striking another vehicle and ultimately exited the Haven at Lake Deer Apartments lot.
Officers were able to block him in at the parking area of the Wellington Condominiums along Lake Howard Drive.
Once Pickles was secured officers began treating his injuries until EMS personnel arrived, Pickles was transported to Lakeland Regional Health with non-life threatening injuries.
After being released from the hospital, Pickles will be charged with two counts of Aggravated Assault and Resisting Arrest with Violence.
The 10th Judicial Circuit Officer-Involved Shooting Team is currently investigating the shooting with the State Attorney’s Office overseeing the investigation. The Winter Haven Police Department will conduct an internal administrative investigation, which is standard procedure.
(The officers’ names are not being released due to Marsy’s Law.)
The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on paid administrative leave until the investigation is complete.
Due to the ongoing investigation, there will be nothing more released at this time.
Original Update:
Winter Haven Police are on the scene of an officer-involved shooting that occurred earlier this morning. No officers are injured and the suspect has non-life-threatening injuries and has been taken to the hospital for treatment.
The incident location is at the Haven of Lake Deer Apartments (350 24th St. NW). The suspect, Jason Pickles (DOB 5-19-79) has a long and violent criminal history and currently had a warrant for his arrest.
The investigation is being turned over to the 10th Judicial Circuit Officer Involved Shooting Team.
On Wednesday, November 9, 2022, Lake Wales Police Department teamed up with the Polk County Sheriff Office and the District 10 Medical Examiner’s Office in an attempt to locate Ms. Debbie Williams, who has been missing since 1990.
Detectives, officers and crime scene investigators excavated the sand underneath the rumored residency, located at 108 Dr. J.A Wiltshire Ave. At the conclusion, no remains were found underneath the residence.
Lake Wales officials intend to continue the search. Plans include the use of ground penetrating radar (GPR). Proposed areas for the use of GPR include the lot the residence is located on and an additional area alongside US HWY 27. Detectives have partnered with a GPR specialist from the University of South Florida.
Detectives are also following up on other leads discovered in microfiche film dating back to the 90’s. They have located a lead supporting the eye-witness testimony of Williams entering a white and red pickup truck driven by a Caucasian male at the time of her disappearance.
Deputy Chief David Black said, “Our detectives will continue to follow-up on factual leads and eye-witness testimony.”
Aggressive progress has been made by Lake Wales Police Department after a resident arranged for cadaver dogs to search the land around the residency. One hotspot identified by the dogs was beside a tree that rooted underneath the house. Officers dug into the root ball from inside the house, which happens to be the same room Williams was rumored to be buried under the floor.
Detectives contacted Julie Starbuck, K-9 handler for Peace River K-9 Search and Rescue and discussed the results of the search. Starbuck stated cadaver dogs find the odor of human remains, which can be generated in a multitude of ways, and does not necessarily indicate a body. She went on to say remains could be blood left behind from an injury or when dead or dry skin flakes off a body and decomposes.
Prior to the excavation, SEMCO, a construction firm assessed the structural integrity of the residency. Flooring was removed from the house to make room for officers to excavate the sand underneath the residency and run it through sifters. More than 20 officers and city staff engaged in the search.
UPDATE 1
Heartland Crime Stoppers is offering a reward up to $5,000 for any information, which leads to locating Debbie Delores Williams.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact Detective Ricky Hartwell at 863-678-4223. Or, if you would like to stay anonymous and be eligible for a CASH REWARD through Heartland Crime Stoppers:
· Call 1-800-226 TIPS (8477)
· From your cell phone, dial **TIPS
· Visit the website www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com and click on “Submit A Tip,”
· Or download the free “P3tips” app on your smartphone or tablet.
COLD CASE INVESTIGATION
In late March 1990, Debbie Williams was reported missing by a family member. At the time of the original report, it was estimated Debbie had been missing for approximately four weeks. Detectives have been left with a single partial page initial report to go on.
In 2019 Melvin Waldron, a retired Lake Wales Supervisor, came to Detectives with information regarding Williams’ case. The information included rumors Williams had been killed by her on again, off again boyfriend who has since passed away. The rumors were she was buried beneath the boyfriend’s residence or near the overpass of Highway 27 near Florida Natural. At that time, a Detective was assigned to accompany Waldron to conduct interviews with people Waldron believed had direct information on the case. A total of nine people were interviewed regarding the case and only one person had any direct information. This person observed Williams getting into a white and red pickup truck driven by a white male around the time she disappeared. The other eight people all stated they heard various “street talk” over the years saying she was buried under the house, or she was buried under the bridge, or she got into a white truck driven by a white male, never to be seen again.
Detectives then went to the residence in question to investigate the possibility Williams was buried there. An officer dressed in protective equipment went under the residence using a metal rod to probe the area for remains. Bones were located in the area Williams was rumored to be. Those bones were examined by the medical examiner’s office and confirmed to be animal bones. No large scale digging was done as there for safety of the officer and the structure itself.
The current owners of the residence are not suspects in any way and have been nothing but cooperative in this case and great care must be taken with their property.
The Lake Wales Police Department is networking with the Lake Wales Building Department, Planning and Zoning, and house moving companies to ensure the residence can be safely moved and any potential crime scene preserved. The move of the residence will be done as Building Partnerships for a Safer Community soon as possible but due to logistics that date is yet to be determined. Detectives have been in contact with USF for ground penetrating radar, so that once the residence had been moved a search can be conducted. If the ground penetrating radar indicates the possibility of remains, a dig will be conducted at that point.
The Detectives in charge of this investigation have met with experts and investigators from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, State Attorney’s Office, and Polk County Sheriff’s Office who have all pledged their assistance in this case. We have also been in contact with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) regarding advancements in DNA collection and cataloging built to assist in matching missing persons with unidentified bodies found around the country.
Going forward, Detectives are working to rebuild the case file regarding Williams. This includes conducting interviews with those who knew Williams and the boyfriend. This proper documentation of the investigation will provide a thorough case file if Williams is not locate during these endeavors.
The Lake Wales Police Department is working diligently on this case and will exhaust all leads. Should Williams not be found during these searches, the department will follow up on any future leads which may develop hoping to find closure for the Williams family.
This investigation is ongoing.
If you have any information regarding this case please contact Detective Ricky Hartwell or Sergeant Shawn Smith at the Lake Wales Police Department at 863-678-4223. You can also remain anonymous by calling Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS (8477).
TLC PetSnip Celebrates Ribbon Cutting of Two New Centers
by James Coulter
As the late Bob Barker always reminded his viewers: please control the pet population and have your pets spayed or neutered. If your pets need spaying, neutering, or any other surgery or medical attention, TLC PetSnip can assist you and your furry friend at their Lakeland facility, especially with the recent opening of two new centers.
On Thursday, TLC PetSnip celebrated the grand opening with The Peyton Surgical Center and The McCutcheon Medical Center. Located at their facility at 1701 E Gary Road, these two new centers more than double their capacity, allowing them to treat and house their furry patients.
Within the past year, both centers have successfully doubled their surgical capacity, as more than 600 dogs and cats have been spayed and neutered in January, and more than 1,204 animals were treated in October alone, explained Emily Lorenzano, Executive Director.
“The impact that these numbers will have on cats and dogs of Polk County is tremendous,” she said. “Our shelter is over capacity…[and] as the number one county in the southeast to euthanize animals due to overpopulation, we hope this surgical center will help curb that statistic.”
TLC PetSnip opened in 2013 as the first non-profit spay/neuter and wellness organization in Polk County. The center was the dream of Terry Sandlak and her late mother, LaVerne Peyton, to provide affordable quality pet care to the Lakeland community.
Sadly, while Sandlak created the non-profit 501(c)3 to help finance the center, she passed away shortly before it opened. In loving memory of her and her mother, the two new centers were named in their honor. Both centers are expected to help the facility further its mission of helping provide affordable care to local pets, as well as reduce the overall pet population.
“Our mission is to provide high quality, affordable, and accessible veterinary care for all pet owners in a caring and compassionate way,” their website states. “We believe in pet care education and will provide services to any pet in need, within our capacity of care. Our mission includes providing shelter and rescue animals with high-quality care at an affordable cost to the rescue. We believe that collaboration is how we will see our vision come to fruition.”
TLC PetSnip officially commemorated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Greater Lakeland Chamber of Commerce. Mary Stevenson, a chamber board member, congratulated the facility for their two new centers and welcomed them as part of the 1,200 chamber members.
Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz likewise commended the facility for the services they provide to the local community: “From the City of Lakeland standpoint, we are thrilled to be able to have this quality care available for our pets. It is a privilege for me on behalf of the commission to see such growth.”
TLC PetSnip is located at 1701 E Gary Rd, Lakeland, FL 33801. For more information, call 863-686-7647, or visit their website at: https://tlcpetsnip.org/
Northeast Polk Chamber Hosts 5th Annual Cheese and Wine Event
by James Coulter
What could make for a classier evening than sampling fine cheeses and wine? How about spending that evening near the poolside of Balmoral Resort in Haines City?
The Northeast Polk County Chamber of Commerce celebrated its fifth annual Cheese and Wine Event at Balmoral Resort on Friday evening.
Chamber members and residents were able to sample fine cheese and wines as served by local vendors at the poolside clubhouse. Participating businesses and organizations included SouthState Bank, Citizens Bank and Trust, the Haines City Rotary, and the Winter Haven Sun.
Josh Hicks from the City of Davenport Parks and Recreations Department attended that evening to offer a blue cheese variantfrom English Stilton and dry wine from Jam Jar.
Hicks and the other workers from the City of Davenport love the events hosted by the Northeast Chamber. The city serves as one of the sponsors for the chamber, so they love the partnership between the two institutions.
“We love to take part however we can because they help us so much,” he said. “I think it is good networking and gets all our partners together out of work hours and let us enjoy each other’s company as part of a group.”
Karen Tiner, a member of the Haines City Rotary, loves being able to support the chamber, both personally and as a Rotary member. She and her organization are big fans of everything the Chamber has done for them and their local community, and she loves reciprocating all that at events like this.
“Anything to support the community is what we are all about,”she said. “So far, so good. It is nice, it is very perfect. The music is great, and the wine and cheese are perfect.”
Previous events had been hosted in Downtown Haines City and at the Lake Eva Community Center. This year’s event was hosted at Balmoral Resort, and the turnout proved quite exceptional, explained Lara Stripling, Executive Director for the Northeast Chamber.
Proceeds go toward supporting their adult and youth leadership groups. The event itself helps promote local businesses and other organizations, and it allows members to congregate and mingle with one another for the evening.
“I just think the fact that people love to get out and mingle with samples with wine and cheese and it is more one of our more casual fun events,” Stripling said.
Seventeen Year Old Suspect Wanted For Allegedly Shooting & Killing A Pregnant 16 Year Old Orange County Girl Captured In Lake Wales
Lake Wales , Florida – The Lake Wales Police Department, Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Orange County Sheriff’s Office all converged on the Lake Wales Garden Apartments Monday afternoon in search of Lorenzo Larry, 17 wanted for murder. After a brief standoff he was taken into custody. Larry allegedly killed 16 year old De’Shayla Ferguson’s on Oct. 24. Ferguson was 20 weeks pregnant at the time of her death.
Ferguson, who turned 16 years old days before the shooting, was found on Broken Pine Circle, just west of Hiawassee Road near Clarcona Ocoee Road, with a gunshot wound to the head, the sheriff said.
Orange County Sheriff Mina said the shooting happened after a “heated argument” and the suspect fled. Larry was later found in Polk County, according to Mina.
The sheriff said Larry was also a suspect in the shooting death of Jemile Pittman 23. She was found dead in a car around December 21. She was found with one gunshot wound to the head, the sheriff said.
“He admitted to shooting Jemile but claimed it was self defense, although he fled the scene, disposed of a gun and fled to another state. So in those cases where the suspect claims self defense, we work closely with our state attorney’s office,” the sheriff said. “We give them our investigative report for them to review so they can make a determination on that case, that was done back in July, and the state attorney’s office has not made a determination in that case as of yet.”
Mina said he expected the state attorney’s office to charge Larry as an adult for the deaths of Ferguson and her unborn child.
“We have to acknowledge that someone who amasses this many gun charges and is responsible for the killing of two women and an unborn child needs to be behind bars for a very, very long time,” Mina said.
Law enforcement was well armed as they surrounded Larry, giving him no where to escape.
OCSO has arrested 17-year-old Lorenzo Larry on charges of Second Degree Murder in the killing of 16-year-old De’Shayla Ferguson on Oct. 24. He also faces charges of killing of an unborn child by injury to mother. De’Shayla was 20 weeks pregnant when she was murdered. pic.twitter.com/dwp7sZtRO9
— Orange County Sheriff's Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) November 8, 2022
"We have to acknowledge that someone who amasses this many gun charges and is responsible for the killing of two women and an unborn child needs to be behind bars for a very, very long time for the safety of this community." – Sheriff John Mina pic.twitter.com/zPwW1de8w7
— Orange County Sheriff's Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) November 8, 2022
A former Haines City High School math teacher was arrested late Wednesday afternoon and charged with having inappropriate sexual contact with a 17-year-old female student at the school.
The girl’s father called 911 on October 11 to report the incident. Because the father called 911 from outside Haines City, another agency responded and took his initial statement. He said the girl came home from school, and told him that she was upset about rumors of an incident circulating through the school about a relationship between her and a teacher.
The officers took a statement from the girl and contacted Haines City detectives because the incident took place at Haines City High School.
The girl said the teacher, 25-year-old Jeremiah Stringer, met her in his classroom on October 7, an early dismissal day when fewer students were on campus. She said the teacher began kissing her, grabbed her and she performed oral sex on him. The teacher tried to engage the girl in intercourse but was unsuccessful.
During an interview with detectives Stringer said he did exchange social media messages with the girl and that they could be perceived as “flirty.” Stringer denied having sex with the student.
During the course of the investigation, detectives learned the victim’s clothing likely contained DNA evidence.
On November 2, detectives received confirmation from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement that the DNA on the victim’s clothing matched Stringer’s.
Stringer was arrested at his Winter Haven home the same day.
After the teacher was arrested, the Polk County School District sent a message to parents with students at Haines City High School alerting them to the incident and also encouraging parents and students to come forward if they have any additional information. The statement also added that the teacher has been terminated and is no longer working in the school system.
Haines City Police Chief Greg Goreck said “If the public has any additional information about this or any other incidents, we encourage them to contact us right away.”
Stringer is charged with Custodial Sexual Battery on a victim older than 12 but younger than 18-year-of-age, a first-degree felony.
Dailyridge is proud to sponsor Hayleigh, a young talented barrel race rider on her competition journey. We thank all of our readers and sponsors for giving us this privilege and making our sponsorship possible. Now let’s all support Polk Counties very own Hayleigh Rodgers as she represents our youth at national racing competitions.
Rodgers placed 13th in the 3D for the second round in the open competition on Reba.
She is competing this weekend at the 2022 NBHA Open and Senior World Championships at the National Fairgrounds in Perry, Georgia.
Stephanie Randell, grandmother of Rodgers said, “Hayleigh qualified for finals on her first horse Reba in the first round. Today she is running in the redemption round to try and qualify on her second horse Diesel. Tomorrow she competes in the finals competition.”
Today she is running around 11:45 a.m. or 12:00 p.m. at draw 122. Tomorrow (Saturday) will be the finals. They start at 11 a.m. Stay tuned for her draw number for tomorrow. (Draw number 66)
To watch the race live today, visit https://wranglernetwork.com/portfolio-view/2022-nbha-open-and-senior-world-championships-friday-november-4th/
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested two murder suspects from the Virgin Islands on Thursday, November 3, 2022.
Deputies, supported by K-9 and Drone units, responded to a residence at 107 Arizona Avenue in Lakeland and quickly arrested the suspects, 30-year old Jonathan Rivera and his girlfriend 28-year old N’zinger Williams at about 5:16 pm.
Both suspects were taken to the PCSO Sheriff’s Processing Center to be booked-in and will await extradition to the Virgin Islands.
“The suspects are wanted for the murder of a 28-year old St. Croix man in June of this year. They are both from the Virgin Islands and came here in late June apparently thinking Polk County would be a good place to flee to. They were obviously wrong.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
The Virgin Islands Police Department St. Croix District is charging Jonathan Rivera with 1st Degree Murder, 1st Degree Assault, 3rd Degree Assault, Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Crime of Violence, 1stReckless Endangerment, and Unauthorized Possession of Ammunition.
N’zinger Williams is facing charges of 1stDegree Murder, and Accessory After-the-Fact.
Welcome, World Travelers! Do Annual Passholders Have a Right to Sue Disney World?
by James Coulter
Do people have a “right” to a Walt Disney World vacation? And should be able to sue if they feel their “right” has been violated? Two annual passholders seem to think so, as they are both taking the House of Mouse to court.
In October, two Disney annual passholders filed a lawsuit against Walt Disney World, claiming the park’s reservation system and park hopper guidelines were restricting their access to the parks.
In 2020, Walt Disney World shut down between March and July due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When the resort re-opened later that year, a reservation system was implemented to control crowd size as to allow the parks to maintain proper social distancing and other health and safety guidelines.
Through the system, passholders and other guests with a valid admission ticket are required to make reservations ahead of their visit in order to gain entry to a Disney World park. Previously, the system only permitted guests to visit one park per day; however, a park hopper option was provided to allow them to visit another park after 2 p.m.
According to the lawsuit, these restrictions were supposed to be temporary, only being implemented during the duration of the pandemic. However, despite COVID-19 restrictions being lifted from other businesses and venues throughout the state, Disney has continued to maintain its reservation system. As the lawsuit states, this system allegedly disenfranchises passholders over guests who purchase single-day admission.
As the lawsuit reads: “It was believed by the Plaintiffs and other members of the class that this reservation system would only be temporary and would end once the threat of the pandemic lessened because they had not been subjected to this system pre-pandemic. By restricting access to the park, Disney effectively unilaterally modified all Platinum Pass holders’ and Platinum Plus pass holders’ contracts.”
Disney had since released a statement in response to the lawsuit, claiming the resort was dedicated to providing quality experiences to all of its guests, both passholders and regular guests alike. As the statement, which was released to Fox WKMG-TV, states:
“Annual Passholders continue to be some of our biggest fans and most loyal guests. We’ve been upfront with Passholders about the updates we’ve made, and we offered them the flexibility to opt-in or opt-out of the program early in the pandemic, including refunds if they desired. This lawsuit mischaracterizes the program and its history, and we will respond further in court.”
Earlier this year, during an interview with Hollywood Insider, Disney CEO Bob Chapek claimed that, while he loved the company’s “super fans” who purchased annual passes, he felt they were taking advantage of the parks as their “personal playgrounds” and thus disadvantaging other guests who only visit the parks occasionally.
As he stated in the Hollywood Insider interview: “The annual pass as a value was so great that people were literally coming all the time and the accessibility of the park was unlimited to them, and that family from Denver would get to the park and not be let in. That doesn’t seem like a real balanced proposition.”
With the park maintaining its COVID-19 era restrictions, raising prices through inflation, and implementing pricey services such as Genie Plus, many Disney fans feel the parks are becoming too expensive, making them feel less than happy at the Happiest Place on Earth.
One family, which had been visiting the parks for 11 years, went viral after claiming they were no longer renewing their annual passes or coming back to the parks due to the many changes that have been implemented over the years.
In their post on Insider, aptly titled “Here’s why my family is finally done with the parks”, Carrie McLaren wrote: “I’m incredibly thankful we were able to make that dream a reality for my girls for a while, but after 11 years I’ve reached my limit. I am heartbroken to say goodbye to Disney World, my happy place, and I cried over the decision not to renew our annual passes. But it’s time for my family to move on. I’m sure we’ll be back one day, but now it’s time for us to find a new place to make memories.”
What do you think? Do Disney World annual passholders have a right to sue the parks? Do you think their grievances about increased prices and cumbersome restrictions are valid? Leave your comments on Facebook.
When is the best time to schedule a dental appointment? At tooth-hurty! In all seriousness, if you are looking for a new dentist to meet your dental needs, regardless of your age, then make an appointment for Lakeland Oak Dental.
Whether you are visiting for a routine checkup, require new dental implants, or you need cosmetic dentistry or orthodontic treatment, Lakeland Oak Dental offers affordable, comfortable, and reliable dental care for all ages and with a commitment to high standards.
“We welcome familiar and new faces to Lakeland Oaks Dental,” their website declares. “We are pleased to offer our patients trustworthy cosmetic, restorative, implant, and family dentistry services in Lakeland Florida. From hygiene cleanings to orthodontics and laser gum therapy, our specialists are here to help you look, feel and smile your best in a comfortable, friendly atmosphere. We welcome you to experience our safe, modern, and comprehensive dental health services in a single, convenient location.”
Lakeland Oak Dental is a full family dental service, one of several offices in a network of offices part of a bigger chain. Not only do they focus on providing quality care for patients of all ages, but they want to focus primarily on providing personable service to their customers and their dental needs.
Their people-centric business outlook brought them to Lakeland, explained Marvin Terrell, CEO. He saw that Lakeland was a community dedicated to people, which perfectly matched their own outlook as a dental practice. So, their move to Lakeland was a perfect fit for them, he explained.
“We do believe this community embodies everything that we do. It is all about people, we are a very people centric organization. So, we are so happy to be here,” he said. “[Our] expectations isto provide for the people and the community, give them what they are looking for, give them an experience that they really enjoy and like. Help them create a very healthy dental experience, to serve their friends and family and children to come, so it is all about the services we can provide to the other patients.”
Lakeland Oak Dental celebrated its grand opening on Monday. The ceremony was hosted by the Greater Lakeland Chamber of Commerce with a ribbon cutting. The office had been opened since June; however, the ribbon cutting had been postponed several times due to various circumstances including Hurricane Irma in September.
“I know you opened in June, I know you wanted to do the ribbon cutting, but Florida had a different plan,” explained Grace Troise, chamber board member.
Mayor Bill Mutz welcomed the new dental practice and commended them for living up to the standards that their community shares: “We are appreciative of our chain expansion, including Lakeland, and we hope to be a market that is very lucrative for you…And we look forward to be an important link to that as you move forward.”
Lakeland Oak Dental is located at 3615 S. Florida Ave. Suite 850, Lakeland, FL 33803. For more information, call 863-732-9496, or visit their website at: https://lakelandoaksdental.com.
