Lakeland Police Officer Witnesses Crime Against Handicapped Person

<p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><strong><span style="COLOR: #000066; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Lakeland Police Officer Adam Williams was jogging northbound on Success Avenue at approximately 3:00 PM on July 29, 2010, when he observed several young males crouched and hiding behind a brick wall at Lake Morton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span>As he got closer, he could hear the suspects counting down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span>As Officer Willams got even closer, he heard one of the suspects say, “here he comes”, and then “three, two, one, get him!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span>At this time four young males jumped out from behind the wall and ambushed the victim, Richard Werner (age 20), an adult handicapped person, as he rode his bicycle westbound past their location.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><strong><span style="COLOR: #000066; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">&#0160;</span></o:p></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><strong><span style="COLOR: #000066; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Werner yelled for help and tried to escape as the four young males attacked him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span>Werner was holding a backpack, and one of the suspects grabbed the backpack and attempted to pull Werner from the bike as the other three were swinging and grabbing at his arms, head and body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span>Somehow, Werner managed to stay on his bike and continued to try to escape all the while calling for help.<o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><strong><span style="COLOR: #000066; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">&#0160;</span></o:p></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><strong><span style="COLOR: #000066; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Officer Williams continued running after the group, but before he could catch up to them, a good samaritan, Monica Gonzalez, intervened and placed her vehicle between the suspects and Werner and called police for help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span>The suspects then fled on foot as Officer Williams continued to monitor their movement and location. Officer Williams located Officer Bart Butler in the area of Massachusetts Avenue and Lake Morton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span>Together they located the four suspects and placed them under arrest.<o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><strong><span style="COLOR: #000066; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">&#0160;</span></o:p></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><strong><span style="COLOR: #000066; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">All four suspects were charged with Abuse of a Handicapped Person (F3), Battery (M1), and Disorderly Conduct (M2).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span>Those arrested are:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span>Kevonta Isaac (DOB:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span>6/8/85),&#0160; Iquan Isaac (DOB: 4/1/94), Kamion Matos (DOB: 9/25/94), Timothy Scott (DOB:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span>9/22/91.</span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><strong><span style="COLOR: #000066; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">&#0160;</span></o:p></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><strong><span style="COLOR: #000066; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Werner received minor, non life threatening injuries.<o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><strong><span style="COLOR: #000066; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160;</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><strong><span style="COLOR: #000066; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Media inquiries should be directed to Sergeant Terri Smith, 863.834.6917.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span>This information is also posted on </span><a href="http://www.lpdonlinenews.com/"><span style="COLOR: #000066"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">www.lpdonlinenews.com</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></p>