BARTOW, Fla. – A neighborhood dispute over an animal control citation escalated into a felony standoff on Friday, March 6, 2026, resulting in the arrest of 50-year-old Amanda Sexton. The incident began on Twin Pines Court in Bartow when an Animal Control officer attempted to hand Sexton a citation.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Sexton refused to accept the paperwork, directed insults at the officer, and became increasingly belligerent.
When the officer opted to affix the citation to Sexton’s mailbox, the situation turned physical. Officials report that Sexton grabbed the document, wadded it into a ball, and threw it at the officer. She then retreated into her home and refused to cooperate with a Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputy who arrived on the scene to assist…