Three young men from Altamonte Springs discovered Friday evening that Polk County law enforcement takes a dim view of criminal activity, particularly when it involves stolen vehicles, firearms, and masks. The trio, now identified as Schuyler Barry-Austin (19), Vertrelle Walker, Jr. (21), and Deontrae Walker (16), are facing a litany of charges after being apprehended in a meticulously executed traffic stop on I-4.
The events unfolded on Friday evening, when a Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) deputy patrolling I-4 near Lakeland spotted a 2016 Mazda CX-5 that had been reported stolen from Orange County. The stolen vehicle drove east as additional deputies converged, with its passengers clearly unaware of the tracking.
Two police officers deliberately created a temporary traffic jam by driving ahead of the Mazda in a well-coordinated maneuver. As traffic halted just east of County Road 557, other deputies quickly intervened, boxing in the stolen Mazda and arresting all three passengers without incident…