Lakeland FL

POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A Dade City man was arrested late Saturday night after deputies say he threatened a group of people following a minor traffic crash northwest of Lakeland, punched an 18-year-old, and claimed he would shoot them, authorities said. According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded ...

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Hernando Cortez Thompson Jr., a 39-year-old Orlando man identified by prosecutors as the leader of the Bloods-affiliated “Sex Money Murder” gang in Florida, was convicted this week on all charges following a Polk County jury trial, state officials announced. The verdict, delivered after about an...

HILLSBORURGH COUNTY, Fla. (WWSB) - A Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputy appeared in a Manatee County courtroom today facing DUI charges. Shannon McBride, 60, has worked for the Sheriff’s Department for seven years and was most recently assigned as a jail detention deputy. Manatee County sheriffs responded...

TAMPA, Fla. – Residents enjoying the mild start to the week should keep their umbrellas—and their winter coats—close at hand. The National Weather Service reports a turbulent shift is on the horizon for the Tampa Bay area, bringing a mix of rain, gusty winds, and a sharp drop in temperatures that could see the...

POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A Plant City man currently on probation for attempted murder is back behind bars after deputies say he fired a handgun just feet away from a patrol car early Sunday morning, claiming he was simply trying to create “fireworks.”. The incident unfolded around 1:42...

A Bartow woman is in custody after Polk County deputies say she orchestrated a burglary by deceiving local business owners into unknowingly removing thousands of dollars’ worth of property from a Winter Haven home. The investigation began on December 22, when deputies responded to a reported break-in at a...

(This article was revised to include the driver's name.) A Lake Wales man was found dead in an SUV that was halfway submerged in a Haines City lake on Jan. 9. The Polk County Sheriff's Office said in a news release that it received a call about 8:50 p.m. from a resident who saw lights with its front end submerged at...

POINCIANA, FL – Polk County deputies are looking for a man accused of pushing his luck by targeting the same convenience store twice in a single evening. According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect entered the 7-Eleven at 6519 Marigold Avenue on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. At approximately 5:45 p.m., a...

A Central Florida man was arrested for critically injuring a three-month-old baby. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested 24-year-old Zachary Ingram, of Eagle Lake, and charged him with aggravated child abuse, a first degree felony, for causing critical injuries to a three-month-old baby for whom he was caring....

Attorney General James Uthmeier said Monday that "homelessness is not permitted" as he addressed a notice sent to Winter Haven last week alleging violations of a state law that bans overnight camping on public property. The city responded to the notice on Friday, insisting Winter Haven is in compliance. The...