News and Investigations

During the evening hours of Friday, September 28, 2018, Polk County Sheriff's deputies arrested 25-year-old Shawn Whitten of Sand Mountain Loop in Auburndale, and his brother 19-year-old Brett Crosby of Woodland Avenue in Lakeland, after the pair drove around in a stolen truck, shooting at occupied vehicles, before crashing the truck and fleeing.
 
"Thanks to our cooperation with the Auburndale Police Department, a tight perimeter, and people who saw something, and immediately said something, we took these brazen brothers into custody before they killed someone. It is a miracle nobody was shot." - Grady Judd, Sheriff.
 
According to their affidavits and preliminary information:

Around 7:22 p.m. on Friday evening, the PCSO ECC received a call in reference to the followiing:

Whitten was driving a stolen black Toyota Tacoma pickup truck southbound on Spirit Lake Rd. approaching the intersection of Spirit Lake Road and 4th Street JPV in unincorporated Winter Haven, with his brother, Crosby, in the passenger seat. The truck was reported stolen Friday morning. As they approached the intersection, Crosby fired a gun at a 2001 Chevy Suburban that was heading eastbound on 4th Street approaching Spirit Lake Rd. The projectile struck the rear driver’s side window. The female driver and sole occupant was not hit.  
 
Around 7:36 the PCSO ECC received a call in reference to the followiing:

Whitten was driving westbound on K-Ville Ave at a high rate of speed, and approached a silver Honda Accord being driven by a woman preparing to turn onto Sun Acres Blvd. In the back seat were three children ages 6 years old, 5 years old, and one year old. Crosby discharged a firearm towards the victims. The projectile went through the rear window, shattering it. Nobody was struck. 

As Whitten continued to drive westbound on K-Ville at a high rate of speed, he approached a white Chevy Equinox near the entrance to Anchor House, being driven by an adult male.  Whitten passed the Equinox, and Crosby discharged a firearm towards it. The projectile went into the driver's side window, but miraculously did not hit the driver.   

Just prior to the shootings, the Auburndale Police Department received calls about someone driving a black pickup truck, waving a firearm out of it, in the area of Alberta Avenue and PK Avenue. 

At 7:42 p.m., the PCSO ECC received a call in reference to a single-vehicle crash of a black pickup truck at East Carroll Road and Palmer Road, where the two occupants fled on foot.  Deputies from two different districts – Southwest and Central – responded and established a perimeter, and began a K-9 track. During the track, they were told by a resident in the area the suspects were possibly the same two men who were seen fighting at a house on Palmer Road. The deputies responded to the Palmer Road house, located Whitten, and immediately took him into custody.  

The deputies then went inside the home to locate Crosby. Crosby was located underneath a blanket and unresponsive. Responding PCFR personnel treated Crosby, he regained consciousness, and he was transported to an area hospital. He will be transferred to the Polk County Jail once he is released.

Whitten has been charged with:

• Grand theft of motor vehicle (F-3)
• VOP - Grant theft of motor vehicle (M-2)
• Battery (M-1)
• 6 counts attempted armed felony murder (F-L)
• 2 counts possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (F-2)

He has been in the Polk County Jail on 8 prior occasions, and state prison twice:

• April 2010 – arrested for aggravated battery 
• February 2011 – arrested for burglary 
• May 2011 – giving false info to LEO, VOP (sentenced to 3 years 10 months state prison for the April 2010, Feb 2011, and May 2011 charges)
• April 2015 – fraud, grand theft, drug possession (sentenced to 1 year state prison)
• August 2015 – arrested for 2 counts VOP
• August 2017 – arrested for grand theft of a motor vehicle
• September 2017 – arrested for vehicle burglary
• April 2018 – arrested for vehicle burglary, grand theft of motor vehicle (released in July 2018)

In April 2018 he was sentenced to three years felony probation for grand theft of a motor vehicle.  

Crosby is being charged with:

• 6 counts attempted armed felony murder (F-L)
• 3 counts Discharging a firearm from a vehicle (F-2)