LAKELAND, Fla. – A Lakeland woman’s attempt to impersonate a state official ended in handcuffs this past Friday after she tried to seize a nine-year-old boy from a local home.
Nicole Terry Thomas, 56, was arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on February 13, 2026, following a confrontation where she allegedly posed as an employee of the Department of Children and Families (DCF).
The situation unfolded around 3:22 p.m. when Thomas herself called 911. Claiming to be a DCF case manager, she requested that deputies meet her at a residence to assist in removing children from the property…