LPD Online News

Swine Flu Prevention Tips

The Florida Department of Health has provided some tips for preventing the spread of flu. These tips are good habits to get into all year around, but particularly during an outbreak of cold or flu:

Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze preferable into your sleeve.

Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective [supervise small children with sanitizer use].

Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

Try to avoid close contact with sick people with flu symptoms.

Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people or touching contaminated objects.

If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them and spreading the illness.

The U.S. State Department is urging Americans to avoid "non-essential" travel to Mexico.

Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food and a person cannot get swine influenza from eating pork products.  The infections appear to spread from person to person.  Drugs called antivirals can reduce the consequences of contracting the flu, if taken early.

Download Parents Guide for the Flu_

The Florida Department of Health has set up a Swine Flu Information Line that gives information regarding precautions to take to avoid getting the flu, symptoms, how the disease is spread, and what the DOH is doing to protect its visitors and residents.

The toll free number is 1-800-775-8039

Download Parents Guide to Flu _

 

 

 

Download Cover Your Cough_

Lakeland Police Ask Public to Help Curb Burglaries

Lakeland Police are investigating several vehicle burglaries that have occurred in  South  Lakeland over the past week.  From April 20^th to April 25^th, there have been 15 vehicle burglaries in  South Lakeland, mostly occurring during the night.  These vehicle burglaries all have one thing in common.  All of these vehicles were left unlocked by the victims.

Police are asking the public to help deter these burglaries by taking the time to lock up vehicles and remove valuables from inside.  Property left in plain view in an unlocked vehicle makes an easy target for thieves.  Items such as GPS navigators, change, cigarettes, computers, cell phones, purses, or cd’s can motivate thieves to enter an unlocked vehicle and steal the property.

Police are also asking the public to notify police if they see anyone in their neighborhoods that are looking into vehicles, or loitering around vehicles.     

So, if you want to help reduce the crime in your area police are asking the public to do one simple thing – lock it or lose it!

Click Here to View Burglary_Map

Sergeant Terri Smith

Lakeland Police Attempt to Identify Theft Suspects

UDATED May 11, 2009:  These subjects have now been identified.

The Lakeland Police Department is investigating a theft that occurred at Lowes, 2600 N Rd 98 in Lakeland on April 18, 2009.  Two suspects removed a generator and a lawn blower from a flat bed trailer of a vehicle parked in the Lowes parking lot and placed the items in their white, older model Oldsmobile 4 door Cutlass.  The vehicle has no hub caps and a partial Florida tag of "T57". 

One suspect is a black male and appears to be 6'01" and 180 pounds, with short, afro styled hair.  The other suspect is a black male, 6'01", 160 pounds.

Police are now asking anyone who can identify these suspects to contact Crime Stoppers, or the Lakeland Police Department at 863.834.6900.

Download Crime Stoppers Bulletin

Sergeant Terri Smith

Lakeland Police Investigate Theft of City of Lakeland Truck

Lakeland Police Investigate Bomb Threat

Lakeland Police are investigating a bomb threat that was received today at the Life Skills Center, 407 East Memorial Blvd. Traffic was shut down from South Florida Avenue on Memorial Blvd., to Vermont Avenue, and From Massachusetts Avenue to Plum Street while the Tampa Bomb Squad detonated the suspected explosive device that was located on the exterior of the building in a garbage can. There were no injuries and no damage to the building. This case is still being investigated. No more information will be released today.

Sergeant Terri Smith

Lakeland Police Investigate Crash into Residence

Lakeland Police investigated a traffic crash that occurred on 2204 Morrow Street, Lakeland, on April 22, 2009, at approximately 7:37 pm.  Traci N. King, age 18, was driving on New Tampa Highway when she lost control of her vehicle.  The vehicle drove through two fences on New Tampa Highway, traveled through the back lot of a business, and through a fence onto Morrow Street.  The vehicle then crossed Morrow Street, travelled through another fence, and struck a residence located at 2204 Morrow Street. 

The resident, Ricky Raymond, age 39, was home at the time the vehicle struck his residence.  Raymond was thrown from where he was sitting inside the residence across the room.  Raymond received non-life threatening injuries and was treated and released from  Lakeland Regional Medical Center. 

The driver of the vehicle, Traci King, was not injured.  A passenger in her vehicle was taken to  Lakeland Regional Medical Center.  The condition of the passenger is unknown at this time. 

Officers investigating the crash did not find King to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.  King attributed the crash to a medical condition.  King did not receive a citation for this accident.  Officers have recommended that King be re-evaluated to maintain her license.

Sergeant Terri Smith

Lakeland Police Arrest Two on Burglary Charges

The Lakeland Police Department, operating on a tip from a citizen, arrested two suspects and recovered property that had been taken in a burglary to a residence. The incident began when a citizen reported they had seen what appeared to be guns being transferred from one vehicle to another in the parking lot of a business in  Lakeland. Acting on this tip, police made contact with the occupant of one of the vehicles and found jewelry and guns that had been taken in a residential burglary on April 20th, 2009, at 16 Lake Hollingsworth Drive in   Lakeland. When police stopped another vehicle involved, they found additional property taken from the same burglary. Police also found that suspects, Jamel Alexander Stewart, age 19, and Darrius Marquis Hayes, age 21, were wanted in regard to a robbery that had occurred in Volusia County.

This case is still under investigation. Anyone with information regarding this burglary is asked to contact the Lakeland Police Department at 863.834.6900. No additional information will be released today regarding this case. Media inquiries should be made to Sergeant Terri Smith, 863.834.6917.

Sergeant Terri Smith

Lakeland Police Identify Homicide Victim

The Lakeland Police Department has identified the homicide victim found at 600 East Main Street, Lakeland, Florida, on April 15, 2009 as that of adult female, Shawn Hazel Turk (DOB: 8/20/74). The Medical Examiner’s Office has determined that Shawn died of suffocation. Police are now asking for the public to come forward and share any information they may have regarding Shawn as this investigation continues. Anyone who saw Shawn between the dates of April 9, 2009, and April 15, 2009, is asked to contact the Lakeland Police Department.

Shawn is described as 5’06” tall, weighing between 130 to 150 pounds, with auburn hair with reddish tint. Shawn was last seen wearing a black t-shirt with the words, “I didn’t do it” on the back in white lettering. Shawn also had on light blue jeans and blue/white Nike tennis shoes. Shawn was believed to have been in the area between Lake Mirror and Memorial Blvd., including the area of the 24 hour store on Massachusetts Avenue, and the Grey Hound Bus Station. See map below.

Anyone with information regarding Shawn is asked to contact the Lakeland Police Department at 863.834.6900.  Next of kin has been notified.  Media inquiries regarding this case should be directed to Sergeant Terri Smith, 863.834.6917.  Public Information Officer, Jack Gillen, is currently working at the Lakeland Airport Sun and Fun Fly In.

Download Crime Stoppers Bulletin   

Sergeant Terri Smith

Lakeland Police Attempt to Identify Suspects Using Stolen Credit Cards

On March 19, 2009, the two female suspects in the photographs used stolen credit cards to purchase merchandise at Wal-Mart, 5800 N Road 98, and 7-Eleven, 5870 N Road 98, in Lakeland, Florida.  The credit cards were stolen on an earlier date from victim's place of business in Zephyrhills, Florida.  The suspects are described as between 30 and 45 years of age.

If you can identify these suspects, please contact the Lakeland Police Department, 863.834.6900, or Crime Stoppers. 

View Crime Stoppers Bulletin_14

Sergeant Terri Smith

Lakeland Police Investigate Stabbing

Lakeland Police responded to 210 Lake Hollingsworth Rd, #4, in reference to a suspicious incident. Upon arrival police found Catheline Marie Colon, DOB: 11/19/90, at the apartment in the process of cleaning up blood from the floor of the apartment. The investigation indicated that Colon had lived at the apartment with her boyfriend, Shawn Andrews, age 19, for  approximately 3 months. Colon had moved out of the apartment and had returned to collect belongings when he and Colon began arguing over a box of “Pop Tarts”. At some point Colon stabbed Andrews with a steak knife. A friend of Andrews’ took him to LRMC where he was admitted. Andrews’ condition at this time is unknown.

Colon was arrested and charged with Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon Domestic Violence and Tampering with Evidence.

All media inquiries should be directed to PIO Jack Gillen, 863.834.6949.

Sergeant Terri Smith