Teens steal firearms from Polk Co. deputy's vehicle

BARTOW (FOX 13) - The suspects ranged from 17- to 19-years old. Two of them were arrested and two were still on the run Friday.

Meanwhile, people who live there say they’re shaken up. One resident, Fabian Guajardo has a 5- and 6-year old. He told FOX 13 News he was installing a security system with video cameras.

“Scared for them to be outside and playing.. you never know what can happen,” Guajardo said.

Another neighbor, who did not want to be identified, just moved to Bartow from New York. His car was one of the ones broken into.

He said, “let's just hope the kids stop doing it before one of the cops have to shoot one of them.”

Detectives said the four teens stole a van in Lake Alfred before breaking into four cars, including a sheriff deputy’s vehicle, where they used a crow bar to open a lock box holding a handgun, a shotgun and an assault rifle.

Deputies believe two attempted robberies could be connected to the two suspects still on the loose.

"We had an attempted robbery with a shooting in Winter Haven. We had another armed robbery that occurred, all since Monday,” Carrie Horstman with Polk County Sheriff’s Office said.

Detectives tracked the stolen van and arrested two of the suspects, Trey Hobdy and Traquavious McKenzie.
They’re still looking for 17-year-old Mitchel O'Neal and 18-year-old Jaccarion Gray – and the stolen firearms.