A Sebring man convicted in May of sexually assaulting a girl has been sentenced to life in prison. Jose Angel Sanchez, 53, was found guilty by a jury of two counts of sexual battery after jurors deliberated for about an hour. County Court Judge Anthony Ritenour recently sentenced Sanchez to two separate life sentences for […]
A former bus attendant for the Polk County School District was convicted Thursday of abusing a special needs student by pulling her hair, hitting her on the head and sitting on her. Brenda Nelson is expected to be sentenced Nov. 1 by Circuit Judge Donald Jacobsen for the child abuse conviction. Jurors deliberated for about […]
A jury trial was set to begin Monday in the animal cruelty case against Genar Smith, who was accused of starving his dogs to the point of emaciation. Lakeland police officers found the starving dogs at Smith’s home after a neighbor saw a dog in a cage being eaten by two other dogs. When […]
A California man was convicted Wednesday of smuggling 15 pounds of methamphetamine in a Kia Soul from the Los Angeles area to Polk County. Ramon Valenzuela, 36, carried the drugs in spaces behind the door panels of the car. He faces up to 30 years in prison after jurors deliberated for about an hour […]