Sheriff Grady Judd will brief the media at 10:00 a.m. this morning (Thursday, September 28, 2023) at the PCSO Sheriff’s Operations Center, 1891 Jim Keene Blvd in Winter Haven, about a seven-day-long multi-agency undercover operation
focused on human trafficking, during which 219 arrests were made of suspects who solicited prostitutes and those who offered to commit prostitution, and other suspects who profited from or aided & abetted prostitution.
During this investigation, 21 victims of human trafficking were identified.
Two suspects so far have been charged with human trafficking, a life felony.
Among those arrested for soliciting a prostitute was a Polk County School athletic director and coach.
Sheriff Judd will be joined by detectives and representatives from local law enforcement agencies, as well as social services organizations who offered
help for human trafficking victims
Sheriff Grady Judd To Brief Media On Prostitution and Human Trafficking Sting
Polk Attempted Murder Suspect Arrested
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has been notified that 35-year old Jose Chaidez of Haines City has been arrested in Lake County.
Chaidez was wanted by the PCSO for: attempted 2nd degree murder, armed burglary with battery, burglary with battery, criminal mischief, and stalking (DV). The charges are the result of Chaidez’s violent attacks on two people in a Haines City store on Saturday.
At this time, we do not have any specific details regarding his arrest. He is being booked into the Lake County Jail and will be brought back to Polk County in the near future.
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35-year-old Jose Chaidez of Haines City is wanted by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for battering his 64-year-old former girlfriend and then severely beating another man who tried to intervene in his attack on the woman.
Chaidez is wanted for: attempted 2nd degree murder, armed burglary with battery, burglary with battery, criminal mischief, and stalking (DV). The attacks occurred at J and S Food Mart located at 3084 East Hinson Avenue, Haines City, Florida on Saturday, September 23, at around 4:23 p.m
Click here to see a video of the attacks: https://youtu.be/8HdXCsFndfM.
Chaidez threatened the woman at the store with a butcher knife, slapped her with the knife, struck her and pulled her by the hair. A 43-year-old Haines City man saw the violence occurring and stepped forward in an attempt to stop the man from beating the woman and taking the woman from the store. Chaidez overpowered the man and repeatedly struck him in the head while he laid unconscious on the floor.
Chaidez then engaged with another man, hitting him, then left the store before deputies and EMS arrived. The second man was not seriously injured and left before deputies could identify or interview him. Deputies are asking for this man to come forward so we can hold Chaidez accountable for the battery.
The Good Samaritan was transported to an area hospital where he remains hospitalized. The victim remains in critical condition at this time but is improving and is expected to recover.
“We need to locate this very violent man and put him in jail where he belongs. Anyone who would beat up a 64 year old woman and then ruthlessly beat up a man who tried to help a woman in distress, is a menace and needs to be locked up. If you know where Jose Chaidez is, call us or call Crime Stoppers. This guy needs to be held accountable.” Grady Judd, Sheriff
An extensive search was completed in an effort to locate the suspect; however, deputies were unable to locate Chaidez. Deputies are asking the public to help us locate and arrest Chaidez. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 863-298-6200.
Anyone who wishes to remain anonymous, and be eligible for a cash reward, can contact Heartland Crime Stoppers in one of four ways:
CALL 1-800-226 TIPS (8477);
DIAL **TIPS from your cell phone;
VISIT www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com and click on “Submit A Tip;”
or DOWNLOAD the free “P3tips” app on your smartphone or tablet.
Jose Manuel Chaidez’s criminal history includes aggravated assault with a weapon, battery domestic violence, kidnapping/false imprisonment, resisting an officer without violence, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, hit and run, battery, and battery DV
Lakeland Man Killed In Crash Tuesday Morning
LAKELAND, FL (September 27, 2023) – On Tuesday, September 26, 2023, at approximately 10:36 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 600 block of East Parker Street for a traffic crash involving a single vehicle, a black Nissan Versa. At the scene, officers
located an unresponsive male who had been operating the Nissan. The Lakeland Police Department, Polk County Fire Rescue, and the Lakeland Fire Department all arrived on the scene to begin life-saving measures. Despite the efforts of first responders, the 55-year-old male was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Based on information gathered thus far in the investigation, officers believe the Nissan was traveling east on East Parker Street when it left the north side of the roadway for an unknown reason. The vehicle impacted two mailboxes, then a metal electric pole. The driver was unrestrained at the time of the crash.
The roadway was shut down for approximately two hours to process the scene for the ongoing investigation.
Anyone with information regarding the crash is asked to contact Traffic Crash Investigator Officer Travis Payne at [email protected].
Nissan Driver:
Steven Carr
Age: 55
Address: Lakeland, FL
From Jerky to Figurines: 5th Annual Bartow Fall Fest
by James Coulter
Brian Woods works full-time as a firefighter, so he knows a thing or two about things that are smoking hot. That’s why, on the weekends, he visits local markets and festivals to sell his homemade jerky. Made from beef brisket, Florida’s Finest Jerky Co. sells jerky in 13 different flavors ranging from sweet to savory to spicy and hot.
Woods works as a firefighter, while his girlfriend owns her own business. Together, the two sell their jerky at places like the Bartow Fall Festival. Last Saturday, they attended the Bartow Fall Festival for the first time, and their first time more than met expectations.
“This is our first time here,” she said. “We are always looking for new people to meet and show our jerky to and do our business. This event was really good. I hope they come to have this again.”
Brian and Jennifer were one of several hundred vendors who attended the annual Bartow Fall Fest on Saturday. Hosted by Main Street Bartow, the outdoor market allowed local vendors and food trucks to line up along Summerlin Avenue and nearby streets to sell their wares for the fall season.
Sandy and Ray Landers live in Mulberry. They have been making various handmade crafts for the past five to six years. Prized among their crafts are their sitting characters designed after animals and other cute characters. This year’s fall fest was their first time attending, and their expectations were more than exceeded.
“My daughter-in-law comes out here every year, and she says it is the best around,” said Sandy. “It has been a great day. A great event. A lot of people, friendly people. We will come back.”
Linda Holcomb, Executive Director of Main Street Bartow, was pleased by the overall turnout. She owed the event’s success to the good weather and the growing demand for local events following a summer-long hiatus.
“It has been wonderful,” she said. “The weather has been great. We had lots and lots of people on the streets. They have been shopping. They have been shopping with the merchants. They have been eating down here. Everybody had been very, very happy.”
Main Street Bartow will be hosting various other events soon, including the Honey Bee Festival & Craft Fair in November and the Mistletoe Market in December. She has high expectations that all these events will be bigger and better than the last.
“It certainly draws people down. The more you have to offer, the more people want to come down for,” she said. “I am hoping that each event is more successful than this and they will all have an added element that will make them more different than each other.”
Lake Wales Approves $99 Million Budget, $104 Million Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan, at 2nd Reading
by James Coulter
The City of Lake Wales approved its city budget for the next fiscal year, as well as adopted a $104 five-year capital improvement plan, at its city commission meeting last Monday.
During their regular meeting, city commissioners voted unanimously to approve three measures concerning the city’s budget for the next fiscal year of 2023-2024. The three measures involved the city millage rate, city budget, and five-year capital improvement plan.
The city budget will include a millage rate of 7.12. The current rolled-back rate is 6.12, which makes the approved millage rate “a percentage change of rolled back rate [of] 16.34%,” according to the city staff memo.
The total funding for next year’s city budget will be more than $99 million, which includes more than $26 million in the general fund. The general fund revenues, according to the city staff memo, are estimated to be “$1,813,360 more than budgeted.”
This increase of $1,813,360 in general fund revenues is due to many factors, including an increase in ad valorem tax of $856,225 and an increase in sales and use taxes of $80,000, mainly due to an increase in utility taxes, according to the city staff memo.
Meanwhile, general fund “operating” expenditures are estimated to be more than $21 million, which is “$3,915,033 more than budgeted.” This increase is due to several factors, including an increase in general government services of $513,352.
City commissioners also adopted a Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan, which will be in effect from this fiscal year up until that of 2027/28. The 5-year plan will total $104 million, which includes $73 million in infrastructure and recreation improvements.
This plan will include, according to the city staff memo, “all capital facility and infrastructure improvements which staff believes should be undertaken during the next five years.”
Plant City Celebrates 2nd Annual Oktoberfest
by James Coulter
For the second consecutive year, Plant City had the most Wunderbar time with its annual Downtown Oktoberfest. Hundreds of attendees visited Downtown Plant City to eat pretzels and sausage, drink craft beer, listen to oompah music, and peruse several dozen vendors and food trucks in celebration of all things German.
This year’s event was hosted last Saturday, which was coincidentally the first day of autumn; and yet while the trees had not turned their fall colors and the air did not go below 80 degrees, the somewhat cooler weather was undoubtedly a big factor in drawing a large crowd downtown.
“I think it is very successful,” said Christy Lyle, President of Plant City Main Street. “It looks like we have a full crowd. We have more vendors and more entertainment and looks like a good event.”
The Oktoberfest event was proposed by Plant City Manager, Bill McDaniel. As Lyle explained, “He wanted something like this in Downtown Plant City and we decided to do it.”
For the second annual event, this year’s Oktoberfest far exceeded expectations, with residents and officials alike enjoying a local event that brings people together of all stripes and colors; and with their expectations far exceeded, expectations for the future remain high, Lyle explained.
“This is an event that people like to go to and like to attend,” she said. “So, I think our social media presence and getting the word out, we have been advertising for months and people have been looking forward to it. We are just going to get bigger and bigger.”
Haines City Man Wanted For Attempted Murder Of Good Samaritan Who Intervened While Suspect Battered 64 Yr Old Woman
35-year-old Jose Chaidez of Haines City is wanted by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for battering his 64-year-old former girlfriend and then severely beating another man who tried to intervene in his attack on the woman.
Chaidez is wanted for: attempted 2nd degree murder, armed burglary with battery, burglary with battery, criminal mischief, and stalking (DV). The attacks occurred at J and S Food Mart located at 3084 East Hinson Avenue, Haines City, Florida on Saturday, September 23, at around 4:23 p.m
Click here to see a video of the attacks: https://youtu.be/8HdXCsFndfM.
Chaidez threatened the woman at the store with a butcher knife, slapped her with the knife, struck her and pulled her by the hair. A 43-year-old Haines City man saw the violence occurring and stepped forward in an attempt to stop the man from beating the woman and taking the woman from the store. Chaidez overpowered the man and repeatedly struck him in the head while he laid unconscious on the floor.
Chaidez then engaged with another man, hitting him, then left the store before deputies and EMS arrived. The second man was not seriously injured and left before deputies could identify or interview him. Deputies are asking for this man to come forward so we can hold Chaidez accountable for the battery.
The Good Samaritan was transported to an area hospital where he remains hospitalized. The victim remains in critical condition at this time but is improving and is expected to recover.
“We need to locate this very violent man and put him in jail where he belongs. Anyone who would beat up a 64 year old woman and then ruthlessly beat up a man who tried to help a woman in distress, is a menace and needs to be locked up. If you know where Jose Chaidez is, call us or call Crime Stoppers. This guy needs to be held accountable.” Grady Judd, Sheriff
An extensive search was completed in an effort to locate the suspect; however, deputies were unable to locate Chaidez. Deputies are asking the public to help us locate and arrest Chaidez. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 863-298-6200.
Anyone who wishes to remain anonymous, and be eligible for a cash reward, can contact Heartland Crime Stoppers in one of four ways:
CALL 1-800-226 TIPS (8477);
DIAL **TIPS from your cell phone;
VISIT www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com and click on “Submit A Tip;”
or DOWNLOAD the free “P3tips” app on your smartphone or tablet.
Jose Manuel Chaidez’s criminal history includes aggravated assault with a weapon, battery domestic violence, kidnapping/false imprisonment, resisting an officer without violence, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, hit and run, battery, and battery DV.
Federal Air Marshals Arrested For Domestic Battery In Lakeland
51-year-old Fernando Gonzalez of Lakeland was charged with battery domestic violence for pushing his girlfriend during an argument, during which she was trying to leave their shared residence. Gonzalez is employed as a Federal Air Marshal.
At approximately 1:15 pm on Sunday, September 24, deputies responded to a residence in Lakeland. The victim reported she was pushed against her will against a door in the home by Gonzalez. Deputies observed a small cut mark on the victim’s left wrist that had minor bleeding.
Fernando Gonzalez denied touching the victim during the argument. Deputies observed in the affidavit that the victim’s description of what happened was consistent throughout the investigation and that Gonzalez’ was not consistent, changing his description of the event several times.
“We expect better from a law enforcement officer. We have notified the Air Marshal’s office of this arrest.” Grady Judd, Sheriff
Gonzalez was arrested and transported to the Polk County Jail.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office Deputies Investigating An Assault At Haines City Convenience Store
By Carl Fish
Haines City, Florida – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating a serious injury altercation that occurred Saturday In Haines City. According to Scott Wilder, Director of Communications for the PCSO, the altercation happened shortly after 4pm near J & S Foods (convenience store) on the corner of Hinson Ave. & 30th St. in Haines City.
“Looking for the known suspect “ advised Wilder. At this time the PCSO isn’t releasing any names and the incident is still under investigation.
This is a developing story and we will update as soon as more information is released.
Polk County Deputies Pull Body From Lake Ned
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating a body found in Lake Ned in unincorporated Winter Haven. The initial call came in 11:49am. The Polk County Fire Rescue brought boats to the lake and the PCSO helicopter flew over for a substantial period of time.
Scott Wilder, Director of Communications for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, has confirmed that they did recover an adult body from the lake. At this time the scene is under investigation. At this time it appears the victim drowned, however this a developing story.
