Did you know the Polk County Sheriff’s Office answered over ½ million telephone calls in 2007?  The phones ring a lot.  But, each and every call is important to us.  Whether the caller is requesting a deputy to respond to an incident, or whether it is a simple inquiry, switchboard operators are happy to assist.  

The PCSO switchboard’s number is 863.534.6200.  Resident’s “non-emergency” calls may be directed to that number 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  And as always, should the caller have an emergency, they should dial 9-1-1.

Other frequently dialed numbers are:

Animal Control – 863.499.2600

Jail Information - 863.534.6300

Court Process – 863.534.6264 

Basic inquiries with which switchboard operators may assist include, but are not limited to:

A report of suspicious activity
A request for a Crime Prevention program
A request for an update on a case
A request for a public record
Or, to speak directly with an agency member 

Don’t forget- dial 863.534.6200 for non-emergencies, and 9-1-1 in case of an emergency.

Around 9:20 a.m. this morning, lawn care workers found a man laying unresponsive face down in the grass next to his driveway at 664 Reindeer Drive in Poinciana and they called 911. When deputies and EMS arrived on scene, they found Benjamin Nick Gonzalez, DOB 3/17/72, deceased, and his 14-month-old son strapped into his carseat in Gonzalez’s car which was parked in the driveway. It is not known whether or not Gonzalez and his son had just gotten home from somewhere or were just heading out. Gonzalez has no obvious trauma to his body and there is no foul play suspected.

An autopsy will be conducted tomorrow, Friday, May 9, 2008, to determine Gonzalez’s cause of death.

Polk County Sheriff’s Office is working a death investigation at 664 Reindeer Dr. Poinciana. Homicide detectives are in route to the scene.

LAKELAND | A three-hour jury deliberation today ended with a guilty verdict in the murder trial of 21-year-old Juan Cruz.

Cruz was found guilty of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Derek “Shaquan” Phillips during a botched 2005 robbery in Poinciana.

He was also found guilty of attempted burglary and attempted robbery with a firearm, said Chip Thullbery, a spokesman for the State Attorney’s Office.

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Osceola County *Osceola County Sheriff’s deputies located Israel Domenech last night in Kissimmee. He is at home with his family.

Background:
Osceola County Sheriff’s deputies need the public’s help in locating a missing 35-year-old disabled man. Israel Domenech (DOB 3/22/73) was reported missing from his Eagle Isle Circle residence in Poinciana by his family today. His father woke up around 2:00 a.m. and checked on Israel who was not in his room. The sliding back door was open.

Israel is described as a Hispanic male with a mental capacity of a 5-year-old. He is approximately 5′5″ tall, 95-100 lbs. and has brown eyes and very short black hair. He was last seen wearing a blue shirt, black sneakers and pants. He has a small scar above his left eye and limps when he walks.

Osceola County - The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office has openings for a new self-defense awareness program for women scheduled for May 5, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. Self Defense Awareness Familiarization Exchange or SAFE is designed to educate women on how to protect themselves if they should become a victim. The 2-hour class teaches that 90% of self-defense is awareness, risk reduction and avoiding confrontation, while only 10% is physical. The program has been taught to teens and women between the ages of 13 and 97 for over 20 years.

“Taking responsibility and educating yourself is the first step in staying safe. Although you may not be able to prevent an attack from occurring, there are ways to protect yourself and lessen your chances of becoming a victim,” states Sheriff Hansell.

To sign up for the free class, call (407) 348-1105 or email aveg@osceola.org.

Osceola County * The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with the Osceola County Fire Rescue Department will participate in Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day, April 29 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Annually, Ben & Jerry’s hosts Free Cone Day as a thank you to customers. Local franchise stores invite community officials to serve as servers for the day to raise money for their favorite local charity.

This year, Chief Deputy Dave Sklarek, Fire Chief Rich Collins and members of the Sheriff’s Office and Fire Rescue will be at Ben & Jerry’s at The Loop located at 3234 North John Young Parkway in Kissimmee on April 29 from 6-8 p.m. to participate in the event.
Proceeds will benefit the Central Florida Chapter of Cystic Fibrosis.

Sheriff Bob Hansell is leading this year’s Cystic Fibrosis GREAT STRIDES fundraiser in Osceola County. The Walk will be held Saturday, May 17 at the St. Cloud Lakefront Park. Proceeds from the Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day will go towards this year’s GREAT STRIDES goal of $50,000.

Approximately 30,000 people nationwide have this fatal disease.
In addition, more than 10 million Americans are genetic carriers. With the support of the CF Foundation, there has been tremendous progress in cystic fibrosis research and care. The median age of survival has increased from early childhood in the 1950s to nearly 37 today. However, CF continues to be a critical health matter, as most individuals with cystic fibrosis must battle lung disease for their entire lives. At least one person dies each day from this disease.

For more information on how to make a contribution or participate, call the CF Foundation’s Orlando Chapter at 407-896-1113, or visit orlando.cff.org.

eputies Locate 27-Year-Old Woman

Osceola County * Osceola County Sheriff’s deputies have located Arlene Michelle David. Yesterday afternoon she was found safe in the Kissimmee area and is back with her family.

Background:
Arlene Michelle David (DOB 12/30/80) was reported missing by her family on April 16, 2008. Her family told deputies she is pregnant. Ms. David is taking medicine and does not have the medication with her. Ms. David is described as a white female approximately 5′02″, 150 lbs. with brown eyes and brown hair.

Friends of the Greater Poinciana Area Hospital are continuing to give Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center heartburn.

More than 200 met Thursday night to get an update from their lawyer and object to how long and how slow the process of getting permits for a new hospital is. One of the most active, Annette Brown, has testified before the Florida Senate Appropriations Committee and gotten a word with Gov. Charlie Crist.

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Osceola County *On April 18 at approximately 9:00 a.m., a
13-year-old boy was approached by an unknown man in the area of Peabody
Road in Poinciana. The boy had missed his school bus and was walking
home when a Hispanic man approached him in a metallic or “chameleon”
purple/green colored older style minivan. The man asked the boy if he
wanted a ride. When the boy refused, the man insisted he get in the car.
The boy did not get in the car but hid in the bushes and then ran home.

The Hispanic man is described as dark skinned with short black
hair, wearing a navy blue hat and shirt and blue jeans.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Osceola County
Sheriff’s Office at (407) 348-2222 or Crimeline at (800) 423-TIPS.