GRADY JUDD

He had been driving near the Winter Haven airport when he lost control of the motorcycle, causing both himself and a woman to be ejected, deputies said.

Four people were arrested after a 15-year-old boy was found dead in a Polk County driveway last week, according to sheriff’s officials, in a case involving drugs and an illegal gun sale.

A now-former high school track coach in Polk County with an alleged history of attempts to sexually batter his students was arrested Thursday in what Sheriff Grady Judd called a remarkably disturbing case.

One person was killed and two others were injured in a three-vehicle crash in Polk City, according to the sheriff.

A man with a knife who allegedly jumped from bushes at law enforcement in an Auburndale neighborhood Tuesday evening was shot and killed by two officers and a Polk County deputy, according to Sheriff Grady Judd.

Hurricane Lee is causing dangerous rip currents along the east coast and officials in Volusia County say at least one person has drowned.

A 15-year-old boy was found dead early Tuesday in a Polk County driveway, according to the sheriff.

A Melbourne man was killed in a hit-and-run crash Monday morning while he was attempting to help the victims of another wreck in Polk County, according to Sheriff Grady Judd.

A man was killed and a woman was injured in a shooting at an Airbnb rental in Polk County, according to sheriff’s officials.

A man is accused of using a power tool to kill his 16-year-old son, and Polk County deputies are working to figure out why.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd and Bartow Police Chief Andy Ray are holding a news conference at 6:15 p.m.

A Polk County mother killed her two children and herself in an apparent murder-suicide, according to deputies.

A woman and her son died in a crash in Lakeland, deputies say.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd is expected to speak at 1:30 p.m. regarding the death of an 18-month-old toddler.

Police in Florida say two people were killed in separate incidents involving law enforcement officers.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrests of eight men in the agency’s latest child pornography investigation.

A man and woman in Polk County were arrested earlier this month after their 3-year-old child was found in “bone-chilling” condition, according to the sheriff’s office.

Officials say a 13-year-old exchanged gunfire with police during a chase through a central Florida neighborhood and was taken to the hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening.

Two people were arrested after a man was fatally shot in March while riding a dirt bike one of the suspects paid for and decided not to buy, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at a Tuesday news briefing.

Two men were found dead in a Lake Wales home after a hostage situation, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

A man riding a dirt bike in Polk County was shot and killed, according to sheriff's officials.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd on Sunday held a news conference to provide new details in the search for two men who went missing on Lake Eloise the day prior and are presumed dead, as well as the circumstances that led to their disappearance.

Four people died after two small planes collided in the air Tuesday and crashed into Lake Hartridge in Winter Haven, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd held a news conference Thursday morning concerning the arrest of a 19-year-old man in a fatal gang-related shooting that occurred last year in Lakeland.

A person was killed and two others were injured in a shooting in Polk County Thursday, according to the sheriff’s office.

A teacher’s assistant at a Polk County Christian school was arrested after allegedly assaulting a student last week.

Officials of all levels of government gathered Wednesday in Polk County to announce federal charges related to a drive-by shooting that injured 11 people late last month in Lakeland.

A man suspected in a mass shooting in central Florida was fatally shot by a police officer following a long chase and a carjacking.

A man who died after being shot by police in Polk County on Monday is believed to be involved in a drive-by shooting that injured 11 last week, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

Polk County deputies responding early Saturday to a report of a crying baby near Mulberry found an abandoned newborn who medics estimated to be just an hour old, according to a news release.

Suspects drove stolen SUV, rammed Polk vehicle, sheriff’s office says

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd on Wednesday held a news conference to wish a happy New Year to listeners and “a sad New Year for some shooting suspects,” referencing two drive-by shootings reported in his jurisdiction since 2023 began, as well as a burglary involving a man who Judd described as “the dumbest person on the face of the Earth.”

Two business partners are dead after a dispute led to the men shooting each other, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

A 43-year-old man from Lakeland died Saturday after he was struck while walking along U.S. Route 98 in a hit-and-run crash, according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.

A fatal crash involving a car and a motorcycle Saturday morning forced the closure of a stretch of State Road 60 near Lake Wales, according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.

A 30-year old Lakeland man faces multiple charges after he attempted to start a house fire in Lakeland and then led deputies on a chase that made its way onto Interstate 4, closing parts of the highway on Sunday, according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.

In its largest fentanyl seizure, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said it confiscated enough fentanyl that could kill 2.7 million people.

New video released by the Polk County Sheriff's Office shows the moments leading to a man shooting a deputy.

A man was arrested after shooting a Polk County deputy in the chest in Davenport, according to the sheriff's office.

A memorial service is being held for a Polk County deputy who was fatally shot while serving a warrant.

A 21-year-old deputy was fatally struck by a bullet fired by fellow deputies while serving a felony warrant, according to the Polk County sheriff.

A recent seven-day, multi-agency undercover investigation involving the Polk County Sheriff’s Office resulted in 160 arrests, Sheriff Grady Judd says.

A deputy police chief from the Cartersville Police Department in Georgia was arrested in Polk County for soliciting a prostitute, according to investigators.

Days away from the primary election in Florida, and many candidates are turning to members of law enforcement to help turn out the vote.

A multi-agency investigation uncovered an international smuggling operation out of Winter Haven that brought drugs into Central Florida, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies are looking for a hit-and-run driver after a crash Sunday night seriously injured a 67-year-old motorcyclist in Winter Haven.

A civilian budget analyst for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was arrested after committing retail theft at a Walmart on Wednesday, according to Polk County deputies.

Maybe Florida Man has finally met his match.

Maybe Florida Man has finally met his match.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced the arrests of 12 men accused of soliciting children online for sex, including a Disney employee and a man who rode his bike 10 miles in an attempt to meet a child.

A man was arrested in Bartow after trying to pass himself off as his own brother, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

A Lakeland man threatened to kill both himself and deputies in Lakeland, leading to an officer-involved shooting that resulted in his death, according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.

A Polk County woman threw a tantrum and dialed 911 over a wrong order at a Lakeland McDonalds, which led to her committing a burglary and assaulting employees, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday will hold a news conference at a fire station in Lakeland.

Two Davenport parents were arrested Wednesday after their 2-year-old daughter was starved to death, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a news conference Thursday.

A volunteer with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office was arrested for selling his monthly prescription of Oxycodone pills from a marked vehicle, the sheriff said.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd on Friday held a news conference to detail the arrests of two Lake Wales men earlier this week.

One of three men seen in a video carrying a man shot to death out of a Davenport home has been arrested, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd discusses the results of a gang racketeering investigation.

Over 100 arrests were made in a six-day undercover investigation targeting child predators, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Section on Thursday confirmed its first case of rabies in 2022, finding it within a bat in Winter Haven, officials said.

Officials say a man suspected in a series of central Florida crimes broke a beer bottle over his head and was shot by a sheriff’s deputy who thought the sound was a gunshot.

A Polk County sheriff's deputy was involved in a shooting, officials say.

A 20-year-old man was killed and four others were hospitalized in critical condition from an exchange of gunfire between two moving cars in unincorporated Winter Haven early Sunday morning, according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd held a news conference Wednesday to urge the public to usher in the new year with safety after he said the sheriff’s office responded to five crashes resulting in eight deaths in a span of just 44 hours.

Four people were killed and two others were injured in a four-vehicle crash east of Haines City on Monday, in which one car caught fire, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

A Lakeland woman was arrested Wednesday after allegedly driving under the influence in a crash that left a 22-year-old dead earlier this year, Polk County deputies said.

Detectives with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to the shooting of a man who they said broke into a Lakeland home Tuesday afternoon.

The Elf on the Shelf now has competition with law enforcement wanting to help Santa Claus keep kids on the good list this Christmas season.

A person and a horse were killed in a crash in Polk County, sheriff's officials say.

Three Polk County deputies fired at two men inside a vehicle that sped at toward them while they were assisting another agency early Friday, according to the Polk County sheriff.

Authorities say more than 100 people have been arrested in a Florida human trafficking investigation that focused on victims who might be forced into prostitution.

Javorice Tramel, 21, was initially arrested on Sept. 22 for grand theft of the victim’s vehicle and violation of probation, but after an investigation by the Polk Sheriff’s Office, he has been charged with first degree murder and using a two-way device to commit a felony.

Two people riding motorcycles were shot and injured overnight Friday in Polk County, according to the sheriff’s office.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd provided an update Monday on the arrest of a Pennsylvania man who is accused of brutally killing three people in Davenport on Saturday.

Authorities say a third victim has died following a violent attack where an angry electrician wielding a knife and baseball bat killed three co-workers and injured another at the Florida home they shared.

Authorities say an electrician who got in an angry dispute with a supervisor attacked his coworkers at the Florida home they shared, killing three.

An undercover investigation led by Polk County Sheriff's Office led to the arrest of 16 suspects for possessing, creating and sharing child thousands of child pornography files.

A Florida sheriff says a chance encounter with a former Marine beset by delusions of child sex trafficking ultimately led to the massacre of four members of a Florida family including mother holding a baby boy.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd will provide an update Thursday morning on Sunday’s quadruple homicide.

A former Marine sharpshooter accused of invading the home of apparent strangers in Florida and fatally shooting a woman, her 3-month-old baby and two others was ordered held without bail.

A Florida sheriff says a man wearing full body armor fatally shot four people, including a mother and the 3-month-old baby she was cradling, and engaged in a massive gunfight with police and deputies before getting wounded and surrendering.

Deputies found an infant and three people shot and killed in a Polk County neighborhood on Sunday morning, according to the sheriff’s office.

Orange County Sheriff John Mina is continuing his push to get everyone in his department vaccinated.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd urges people to listen to their doctors.

Tashia Smith was reported missing earlier this week but later found shot to death.

A woman who had been drinking and smoking marijuana got behind the wheel and caused a fatal wrong-way crash Sunday morning, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

A Winter Haven man was found with over 600 images and videos depicting child pornography and tried to factory reset his phone after “battering a victim in the home” before deputies arrived, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

Nine people were arrested in a Winter Haven drug bust, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

Polk County deputies quickly arrested the man the say shot and killed a victim during an argument Friday.

A 2-year-old girl is in critical condition after being shot by her 3-year-old brother Friday evening, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

Polk County Jail inmates will soon have the chance to get vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a news release.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a controversial "anti-rioting" bill into law Monday during an new briefing in Polk County.

Three Polk County deputies face evidence tampering charges after money went missing during an arrest in December, according to the sheriff's office.

Ebony Chaney, 34, of Lake Wales - Charged with conspiracy to commit fraud, obtaining property by fraud, grand theft and cheating/gross fraud. Phyllis Tirado, 49, of Lake Wales - Charged with conspiracy to commit fraud, obtaining property by fraud and cheating/gross fraud. Takila McBurrows, 36, of Lake Wales - Charged with obtaining property by fraud, grand theft and criminal use of personal ID. AdTashai Newman, 43, of Winter Haven - Charged with obtaining property by fraud, grand theft and criminal use of personal ID. Derrick Dawsey, 50, of Lake Wales - Charged with obtaining property by fraud, grand theft and criminal use of personal ID.

POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A Polk County Public Schools employee crashed her pickup truck and was arrested for driving under the influence, according to the sheriff’s office. Deputies responded to Lake Mabel Loop Road around 4:03 p.m. Sunday where a black Chevrolet Silverado was crashed into a barbed wire fence. Following a field sobriety test, Steele was arrested and taken to the Polk County Jail. Deputies also collected two breath samples that read .183 and .178 grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath. “Thankfully, this was not a serious crash, but the issue of driving while impaired is still a very serious problem.”According to the sheriff’s office, Steele is currently employed by Polk County schools in the curriculum and instruction department as a social science coach.

POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A Polk County paramedic is accused of stealing highly sought-after coronavirus vaccine doses, according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. Polk County Fire Rescue contacted the sheriff’s office after determining the doses were not given to firefighters and were missing. The sheriff, along with Polk County Fire Chief Robert Weech described Tuesday during a news conference how authorities learned of the missing doses. Polk County Fire Rescue paramedic arrested Sheriff Grady Judd, along with PCFR Fire Chief Robert Weech and Deputy County Manager Joe Halman, is giving details about the arrest of Polk County Fire Rescue paramedic Joshua Colon in the theft of three Moderna vaccine doses. The captain was formerly a reserve deputy with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

“He was laid to rest in a grave in Fort Meade, there were solar lights placed in his grave by his family and a worthless individual stole those lights. They installed a game camera that downloaded text and put more solar lights up,” Judd said. We have caught us a thieving animal on the game camera, they notify the sheriff’s office, we immediately responded and arrested Kevin Wheeler with more stolen lights from Damien Tillman’s grave,” Judd said. I thought they were cool so I stole them off of a dead young man’s grave, who was viciously murdered,’” Judd said. His criminal history includes grand theft and vehicle theft charges, as well as receiving a special court martial by the U.S.

An 18-year-old Lake Nona High School student was arrested Monday in connection with a house party that left four teens injured, including a girl who was dragged under a car for 450 feet, Polk County sheriff’s officials said. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said Mateo Pinzon Penagos was arrested in Orlando on charges of burglary with damages over $1,000, criminal use of personal identification and allowing minors alcohol at an open house party. Sheriff’s officials said the vacation home sustained more than $2,000 in damage, and detectives later determined that it was hosted by Penagos. They said they were also able to locate witnesses who saw Penagos with the stolen identification and had first-hand knowledge that he was responsible for arranging the open house party. “At the very least, open house parties are loud and disruptive to neighborhoods and leave litter and damages behind,” Judd said.

POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A custodian at a Lakeland elementary school is accused of grabbing a woman by her neck during a domestic dispute, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. News 6 is not naming the suspect in order to protect the identity of the victim. The man is facing a domestic violence charge of battery on a person over the age of 65. In this particular case, this man was arrested for a violent act. Losing his temper and becoming violent is not acceptable behavior for anyone, especially someone who is around a lot of children each day,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a news release.