Teen with ‘organized criminal mind’ among 6 arrested in gang operation targeting those stealing guns from cars
LAKELAND, Fla. - Six people were charged in ‘Operation Gangs & Guns’ in Polk County after deputies busted a Lakeland gang accused of burglarizing cars to steal guns. Of those arrested, a 17-year-old described as an "organized criminal mind" who recruited members to commit crimes with him.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd reported 38 car burglaries in the south Lakeland area over three nights in four different neighborhoods earlier this year.
According to PCSO, 13 of these burglaries happened in the Reflections West neighborhoods, 11 in Christina Oaks, and 14 in Highlands Crossing and Mission Hills. The first string of burglaries happened on March 11, with the third string of burglaries happening on May 28.
According to Sheriff Judd, seven firearms were stolen over the course of the burglaries, two of which deputies were able to recover. Those two guns were recovered in the commission of separate crimes.
He said five of those guns are still on the streets.
"Five of them are still outstanding," Sheriff Judd said. "I would suggest to you there's going to be robberies, there's going to be carjackings, there's going to be drive-by shootings by these stolen firearms because people didn't lock their cars or didn't take their guns into their homes at night."
The thieves specifically targeted firearms in the vehicles, sometimes even leaving behind other valuables. According to PCSO, they would target cars with stickers that indicated a conservative driver or someone who would own guns.
Many of the burglaries were in locked vehicles, and the suspects forced entry using a window punch to smash car windows, according to PCSO.
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Judd described the "field general" of the group as 17-year-old Kingston Pringle. The Polk sheriff said the teen recruited members to commit crimes with him and has an "organized criminal mind."
Sheriff Judd shared a video of the teenager pointing a handgun with a green laser at an infant in his mother's home, mock-shooting her.
"He will shoot you just as quickly as he practiced shooting these infants," Sheriff Judd said.
The 17-year-old now faces 75 total charges, including two counts of armed burglary, 19 counts of burglary of a conveyance, and others.
Photo courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office
Sheriff Judd said he cut his dreads but encouraged the public not to let this sway them into viewing him as an innocent person. He said deputies found him in a garbage can in his house when they executed a search warrant.
"You can't reboot life," Judd said. "They watch this stuff on video games, and they hit reboot. You can't reboot a life when someone's shot and killed."
He said the gang is believed to consist of about 10–15 members.
Five other males were charged through the operation, their ages ranging from 18 to 23, and charges ranging from armed burglary to burglary of a conveyance and even to grand theft of a firearm, among others.