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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 Carrie Horstman, Brian Bruchey, and Julianna Rivera. 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.
May 21, 2026
Restaurant server charged after stealing debit card information from a customer
Media Contact: Brian Bruchey
A server from a Lakeland restaurant has been charged for stealing debit card information from a customer, then conducting nearly $900 worth of fraudulent transactions.
The crime occurred on April 16, 2026 when the victim and her husband went out to dinner at a sports bar in Lakeland, and they paid using their debit card.
The following morning, the woman received multiple notifications from her bank that her debit card had additional charges that she did not authorize:
- $600 at Posh Day Spa in Winter Haven
- $93.88 at Chili's Bar & Grille in Lakeland
- $200 at Florida Cosmetic Center
The total of those charges came out to $893.88.
The victim called the salon and found out that the $600 charge was for six gift cards.
During that phone conversation, the salon received another phone call. It was from a woman named Angela who wanted to make an appointment using the gift cards. The spa did not have any availability for Angel that day. Caller ID showed the woman's name was Angela Borrero.
The spa owner found a photo of Borrero on social media and sent it to the victim, who recognized the suspect as her waitress from the previous night.
A PCSO detective picked up the case and spoke with the owner of the restaurant where Borrero worked. She had been hired nine days prior to the unauthorized debit card transactions.
Next, the detective obtained records from Borrero's cell service provider which showed that it was indeed her phone which called the salon.
49-year-old Angela Borrero of Lakeland was already in the Polk County Jail on unrelated charges when she was charged Wednesday, May 20, 2026 in this investigation for: Grand Theft (F3), Scheme to Defraud (F3), Use of ID of Another Person (F3), Fraudulent Use of Debit Card (F3), and Violation of Probation (Possession of Controlled Substance).
Angela Borrero has an extensive criminal history. She has 20 prior felony convictions and 15 misdemeanor convictions. Her crimes include: Petit Theft, Retail Theft, Grand Theft, Possession of More Than (10) fraudulent checks, drug related charges, and Identity Theft.