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News and Investigations
News & Investigations
News Releases and Public Information
Welcome to the Polk County Sheriff's Office News Room, where the Public Information Officers (PIO's) post all of the information that they release to the news media. PIO's act as liaisons between news media organizations and the Sheriff's Office. The PIO's routinely release timely and accurate information and Crime Stoppers bulletins, and respond to routine and "breaking news" media inquiries. News releases and Crime Stoppers information can be found on this page.
PCSO's full-time Public Information Officers are Brian Bruchey, Carrie Horstman, and Meghan Petty. The Public Information Officers can be reached by sending an e-mail collectively at PIOs@polksheriff.org.
The recent news releases sent out by the PIOs can be found here, and archived releases (older than 2017) can be found here.
Oct 20, 2021
Convicted murderer released early from prison arrested by Polk County deputies on a New Jersey warrant for murder, kidnapping, and carjacking
Media Contact: Brian Bruchey, PIO
On Tuesday morning, October 19, 2021, deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man on a New Jersey warrant for murder, kidnapping, carjacking, and weapons charges.
51-year old James Lewis was taken into custody at a residence at 220 Kinghill Court SE in Winter Haven.
According to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Lewis fatally shot a man on September 18, 2021 in East Orange, New Jersey during a carjacking. He then zip-tied the victim’s girlfriend and stole the vehicle with her in it, before crashing a short time later.
James Lewis was previously convicted for homicide in a 1989 case in which he was also convicted for robbery and possession of a weapon. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison, but only served 30 years in combined jail and prison time.
“He spent only 30 years in prison when he was sentenced to 40 years in prison for homicide, robbery, and possession of a weapon. In less than two years of being released early, he murdered again. The reason we have prisons is to keep violent and repeat criminals away from victims and innocent people in the community.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
Following Lewis’ arrest Tuesday, a search warrant was served at the residence where he was arrested, and evidence linked to the East Orange investigation was recovered.
