Crime
Two Found Dead in Lakeland Following Shooting and Vehicle Crash into Home on Reynolds Road
LAKELAND, Fla. — Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd held a press briefing to provide updates on a double-fatality incident currently under investigation in the Secret Cove neighborhood, located off Reynolds Road in Lakeland.
According to Sheriff Judd, deputies responded to the area near Reynolds Road and Skyview Drive following reports of gunfire and a subsequent vehicle crash into a residence.
Upon arrival, authorities discovered two individuals deceased at the scene.
The deaths are being investigated as homicides.
Initial reports indicate that the sequence of events began with a shooting, which was followed by a vehicle leaving the roadway and crashing into a home.
The exact circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.
Law enforcement has established a large presence in the neighborhood as they work to secure the scene, collect evidence, and canvass the area for potential witnesses and surveillance footage.
Investigators have not yet identified any suspects, and no suspect information is available for public release at this time.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is urging anyone with information related to the case to come forward.
The investigation remains active and ongoing.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subject’s vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.