The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) reported handling the following incidents in Lakeland during November.
Editor’s note: All suspects are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and values are estimated for stolen/damaged items. These are brief summaries of detailed SCSO reports.
Nov. 1
Huff and Puff Road (theft from motor vehicle)
A man reported the theft of tools from his truck on Nov. 1.
The victim was staying at the Super 8 Hotel (9779 Huff N Puff Road) and had just returned to his room from doing laundry when a neighbor told him someone stole his tools (estimated at $1,500).
The tools were in two separate unlocked toolboxes in the bed of the truck.
The witness said he heard a loud noise outside around 3:45 a.m. and thought it might have come from his vehicle, which was parked just outside his room.
When he stepped outside, he saw an unknown white male looking through the victim’s toolboxes and another unknown white male sitting inside a dark truck in front of the victim’s truck. They left with the tools when the witness questioned them.
The witness couldn’t give a description of the suspects or the vehicle.
The responding officer did not see any damage on the toolbox locks, and a crime scene officer wasn’t able to lift any usable fingerprints.
The responding officer could not view the security footage because the property manager on duty didn’t know how to operate the security camera system.
Nov. 4
Juniper Creek Drive (burglary/domestic violence)
A son called the sheriff’s office about violence between his mother and her ex-husband at her apartment on the 10300 block of Juniper Creek Drive.
The mother said her ex (since 2010) met her outside the apartment when she was leaving it around 7 a.m. Nov. 3.
She said he forced her back inside, grabbed her hair and punched her multiple times on her face and head, saying, “If you don’t let me stay here until Friday, when I get paid, I will kill you.”
He reportedly also told her, “If you call the cops on me and have me arrested I will get out, find you, and kill you.” She didn’t call law enforcement because of a long history of domestic violence with her ex, she said.
The responding deputies saw that she had a black eye, a bruised right hand, and a swollen and bruised right ankle. One deputy also felt multiple knots and a large amount of swelling on the right side of her head, underneath her hair. She declined medical treatment.
The officers returned for a follow-up around 6 p.m. Nov. 4 and met the ex at the front door.
They arrested him without incident. The suspect was charged with domestic assault and aggravated burglary/domestic violence.
Champions Drive (simple assault)
An offensive comment led to a physical fight just before 5 p.m. Nov. 4 as students walked home from a school bus stop on U.S. 64 at Champions Drive.
The suspect reportedly overheard someone else tell the victim that the suspect stunk, so he confronted the victim and punched him in the face.
The responding officer saw a small cut underneath the right eye of the victim. The suspect was not on scene at the time of the report. A crime scene officer arrived and took photos.
Fletcher Trace Parkway (intimidation/domestic violence)
A couple reported on Nov. 4 that their son was angry because they wouldn’t give him a bed from one of their bedrooms, so he texted that he would kill them and their dog and that he would break into their home again.
The couple have filed an order of protection against their son, but it hasn’t been served yet because they don’t have a street address for him. The suspect did not arrive on the scene while officers were present.
Nov. 5
U.S. 70 (embezzlement)
The Lakeland city manager reported Nov. 5 that a former employee made unauthorized charges to a City of Lakeland credit card totalling $5,883 and had failed to repay the debt.
She was fired on April 6 and had an informal agreement to pay off the balance, he said.
He spoke to her three times since her termination, but she has not made payments.
Her charges at Budget Rent-A-Car included $1,881 on Feb. 5, $122 on Feb. 6, $1,731 on Feb. 21, $824 on March 7 and $1,325 on March 24.
Nov. 8
East Davies Plantation Road (theft from motor vehicle)
Someone rummaged around in a man’s vehicle and stole several items while he was having breakfast at the Cracker Barrel restaurant (9649 E. Davies Plantation Road) on Nov. 8.
He found the front passenger-side window of his Subaru XV Crosstrek broken ($300).
Items stolen included an Apple laptop ($1,000) and a backpack filled with clothing and toiletry items. A crime scene officer lifted three latent fingerprints from the vehicle.
Nov. 9
Blue Spruce Circle (other theft/non-specific)
A man who left his weed trimmer and his blower in his driveway around 1 p.m. Nov. 9 emerged just in time to see a suspected thief speed off.
When he came outside, he saw a red hatchback station wagon-type vehicle that was parked between his house and the neighbors immediately leave. That’s when he noticed his Troybilt blower ($150) was missing.
He gave the responding officer a partial tag number of the suspect’s vehicle. He was not able to provide the blower’s serial number at the time of the report.
Nov. 10
Brunswick Road (theft of other trailer)
Someone stole a woman’s trailer while she had it parked at her friend’s house on the 5200 block of Green Spruce, she reported on Nov. 10.
The victim said the suspect is her friend’s brother and also the ex-boyfriend of the victim’s daughter. The suspect lived with the victim and her daughter until June, when they learned he was married.
The victim loaned the trailer so he could move the rest of his belongings in September, and then he returned it. She recently realized it was missing from her friend’s property and later noticed it was in the suspect’s yard on the 4300 block of Canada Road.
By the time she made the report, the trailer had been moved to an unknown location.
The victim said she texted him about the trailer, and he texted back that he wouldn’t return it because her daughter hadn’t given him back some of his property.
The trailer has a rear drop-leaf with a black rubber mat attached. The number 40616 was engraved on the front hitch. The trailer’s information was entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database.
East Davies Plantation Road (theft from building/access device)
A woman said she left her wallet on the counter at the Cracker Barrel restaurant (9649 E. Davies Plantation Road), and multiple cards were stolen. They included a U.S. Bank credit card, a U.S. Bank debit card, a Franklin State debit card and an American Express credit card, as well as her driver’s license.
Her credit card companies texted her about multiple attempts to use her cards, including a declined $300 charge at Dillard’s (Wolfchase Galleria) and a $60 attempt at the Chili’s, also at Wolfchase.
Nov. 11
Lighthouse Cove (non-residential burglary)
A man noticed several items were missing from his home’s garage on Nov. 10 and reported the thefts the next day. He said he left his garage door open and unlocked between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Nov. 10 while working in his back yard.
Items stolen included two Craftsman blowers and an Echo edger.
He couldn’t provide any information on suspects. He gave the responding officer receipts and serial numbers for the stolen items, which were entered into the NCIC database.
Nov. 12
U.S. 64 (misdemeanor shoplifting)
A store employee reported that an unknown black male entered a convenience store (9108 U.S. 64) at 1:05 a.m. Nov. 12 and left with two 12-packs of Corona beer.
The suspect exited without paying, despite an employee telling him to stop. He left in a gray sedan of unknown make and model with windows covered in plastic, and a black female was driving. They left westbound on U.S. 64.
Evergreen (misdemeanor vandalism)
The owner of Stanton’s Dirt Works (5400 Evergreen) reported on Nov. 12 that someone had entered the property by cutting the entry gate chain. He found his storage shop open and rummaged through, but he determined that nothing had been taken.
He was last on the property on Nov. 8 around 5 p.m. When he returned at 7:30 a.m. Nov. 12, the chain was cut and the front lift-style door was halfway up. He said when he left the shop on Nov. 8, the door was left open about one foot.
A crime scene officer advised that the scene was not workable due to excessive dust/dirt in the shop.
Canada Road (misdemeanor shoplifting)
A Shell Gas station clerk (3660 Canada Road) said on Nov. 12 that an unknown black male walked out with three cases of beer. He advised that the store has video surveillance.
Nov. 13
U.S. 64 (misdemeanor shoplifting)
Officers followed a suspicious vehicle from the Cracker Barrel restaurant (9649 Davies Plantation Road) to Kroger (9050 U.S. 64) around 1:30 p.m. Nov. 8. They saw two white males enter the grocery store and followed. The officers were in unmarked plain clothes and saw the males acting nervous and suspicious.
The suspect each took a 12-oz. silver-and-blue can of Red Bull energy drink ($3 each) from the cooler, drank it and put the cans back on the shelf. The officers detained them when they tried to leave without paying. Kroger management decided to press charges.
One suspect received a misdemeanor citation, and the other received a juvenile summons for theft of property under $500. Kroger management also put them on the banned list at the store and explained how the ban works.
Blue Cedar Cove (felony vandalism)
A man reported on Nov. 13 that someone broke two lids covering his boat’s batteries sometime around Halloween.
The boat was moored in the lake at the rear of the victim’s home on the 4000 block of Blue Cedar Cove.
Brandon Way (intimidation/domestic violence)
A woman said she and her son got into an argument on Nov. 13, and he threatened to kill her. The responding officers found that the suspect had an outstanding warrant, so they took him to the Shelby County Jail.
Nov. 14
Chalet Springs (simple assault/domestic violence)
A couple’s argument that started the previous night led to physical violence on Nov. 14 on the 10000 block of Chalet Springs.
The wife said they began fighting around 6 p.m. Nov. 13 when her husband returned from work. They fought about financial troubles, and the man said he wanted a divorce. She said he drank heavily and passed out.
The next morning, the fight continued, and she said he pushed her against the bedroom wall with his hands around her neck and bit her lip. Her daughter was the one who called law enforcement.
The responding officers found the woman crying uncontrollably on her home’s front steps. She had blood on her mouth and hands, and her lip was swollen and bruised.
The daughter said her stepfather had been arguing loudly with her mother for days and had been drinking heavily since the arguing began.
A crime scene officer took photos for evidence, but the victim refused medical treatment. Officers arrested the man and took him to Shelby County Jail.
Nov. 18
U.S. 64 (simple assault/domestic violence)
A woman said a Nov. 18 fight with her boyfriend turned violent. She was dropping him off for work at Subway (9020 U.S. 64) when they began arguing about their work hours. She said her boyfriend got very angry and hostile toward her and her brother.
She said he got out of their vehicle, came to her passenger side window, reached inside and smacked her face.
The brother witnessed the assault and walked with the boyfriend to a nearby bus stop at his request. The boyfriend was gone by the time officers arrived.
The responding officers saw a long scratch across the victim’s lower right cheek, but she refused medical attention. She said she is three months’ pregnant with her boyfriend’s baby, there is no prior domestic violence history, she couldn’t project what will happen next in the relationship, and she was not in fear for her life.
Three Iron Drive (residential burglary)
A resident on the 9200 block of Three Iron Drive returned home from laundering her clothes at 11:15 p.m. Nov. 18 and found her front door had been kicked in. The responding officers searched and cleared the residence.
Stolen property included a Dell computer, a Hewlett Packard laptop, a Sony TV, a Samsung TV, two Canon cameras and multiple lenses, and a bracelet and ring of precious metals.
She wasn’t able to provide serial numbers for all items while deputies were on the scene.
The items with serial numbers were entered into the NCIC database.
Nov. 19
Green Sprice Drive/Canada Road (simple assault)
A mother reported Nov. 19 that someone assaulted her daughter on the school bus that afternoon. She said a male student has harassed the girl multiple times and today spit in her face.
The victim said he spit through his teeth, and some of his saliva entered her mouth. She said he then immediately left the bus at his bus stop. The suspect was not on scene at the time of the report.
Nov. 20
U.S. 64 (theft from building)
An employee at Subway (9696 U.S. 64) said on Nov. 20 that someone stole cash from her carrier in the break room sometime between 3 p.m. and 11 p.m. the previous day. She named a co-worker as a suspect because multiple thefts have happened while that person was on duty.
The suspect was not on the scene at the time of the report.
Sailboat Lane (other theft/non-specific)
A resident on the 3700 block of Sailboat Lane reported on Nov. 23 that money was missing from his wallet after an ambulance ride on Nov. 22.
He said he was transported unconscious to Regional One around 12:30 a.m. Nov. 22 with $125 in his wallet. He found that the money was missing after he was discharged around 4:15 p.m. He said the Regional One security contact advised him that no money was turned in with his other property, and no money was seen on the security video being turned in with his other property.
He said he had three $20 bills, one $10 bill, nine $5 bills and 10 ones. He said his paperwork showed he was transported by an AMR ambulance.
Nov. 25
U.S. 64 (embezzlement)
A man reported Nov. 25 that an employee had confessed to taking a total of about $600 from the Lakeland AutoZone (9760 U.S. 64) and the one in Arlington (11701 U.S. 70).
The suspect admitted taking $95.90 on Oct. 20, $203.90 on Oct. 22, both in Lakeland. He also admitted taking $100 on Nov. 4, Nov. 6 and Nov. 7 from the Arlington location. The complainant said he would not prosecute if the suspect returned the money, and she did so the same day.
Huff N Puff (robbery/individual)
Two women fought on Nov. 25 over one telling the other’s husband about the wife’s cheating.
The victim said she told the suspect’s husband that his wife was unfaithful, so the wife (the suspect) entered the victim’s hotel room and began hitting her in the head with the hotel room’s phone. According to the victim, the suspect them opened the night stand, removed cash and the victim’s knife, held the knife below her chin and then stabbed toward her face, threatening, “I will cut you up.”
The responding deputies saw blood on the victim’s bed, and the victim had a laceration on the right side of her head, swelling on the back left side of the head and swelling on the right hand.
The victim named the suspect and said she was in another room of the hotel. She said they were out with two males at a friend’s house. She saw the wife have intimate relations with one of the men, the husband’s best friend.
The victim, who smelled strongly of alcohol, later gave conflicting statements to detectives, saying she was strangled to the point of “seeing spots,” but deputies didn’t see any visible signs of strangulation. She also gave conflicting statements about the amount of money stolen from the nightstand. She said about $160 was taken in $20 bills. The victim also admitted taking Xanax that day although it wasn’t prescribed to her.
The suspect said she hadn’t been to the victim’s room that day, knows very little about her and doesn’t have any type of friendship with her. She said she was outside near the victim’s room that day, looking for her daughter and saw the victim’s room door was ajar. She also said she hadn’t had any verbal or physical fights with the victim that day.
The suspect also gave conflicting statements to detectives, saying she knows the victim personally and was in the victim’s room on Nov. 22. She said she has bought narcotics from the victim.
The sheriffs report said no poperty was found.
The suspect’s husband said the victim did approach him earlier that day, saying his wife had sex with his best friend the previous night.
No arrest was made because of conflicing statements and lack of evidence. The victim was taken to Saint Francis – Bartlett in stable condition.
Knob Hill (theft from motor vehicle)
A woman said on Nov. 25 that someone stole the license plate from her Chrysler Town & Country minivan. Her husband noticed it was missing earlier that day.
She named a male friend of her daughter as a suspect, although he wasn’t actually spotted taking the tag.
Nov. 29
Ultragreen Lane (residential burglary)
A man said he returned home around 10 a.m. Nov. 29 to find his door kicked in and wide open. He entered and saw that the living room TV was missing.
He said he checked the rest of the home and didn’t notice if anything else was missing or tampered with.
