POLK COUNTY, Fla. – 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 out of Orange County. As additional deputies converged, the stolen vehicle continued eastward, its occupants seemingly unaware they were being tracked.
In a well-coordinated maneuver, two deputies positioned their vehicles ahead of the Mazda, deliberately creating a temporary traffic jam. As traffic slowed to a standstill just east of County Road 557, other deputies swiftly moved in, boxing in the stolen Mazda and taking all three occupants into custody without incident…