News and Investigations

On Tuesday, October 2, 2018, PCSO Homicide detectives charged 50-year-old Randolph Maya of Dixie Hwy in Auburndale with first degree murder in the strangling death of his wife, 50-year-old Jodi Maya.

“October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and we are sad to report that we’re already investigating a domestic-related murder on the first day of the month. Please, if you are in a dangerous situation, get out and get help before things escalate. There are so many resources out there to assist victims of domestic violence.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff 

According to his affidavit, on Sunday, September 30, 2018, around 7:40 p.m. the PCSO ECC received a 9-1-1 call in reference to a disturbance at the home. When deputies arrived, they met Randolph at the front door, who told deputies that nothing was going on and that they weren’t needed. In the background, deputies could hear crying, which was coming from a witness. The other witness living there approached the deputies and said, “I think she’s dead.”

Deputies located the victim slumped over in a bathroom, unresponsive. CPR was performed, and she was transported to Winter Haven Hospital. Her heart stopped beating several times during the transport and after she was admitted. She was pronounced deceased at 6:55 a.m. on Monday, October 1, 2018. 

An autopsy conducted on October 2, 2018, ruled that her cause of death was asphyxiation, and the manner of death, homicide.

During interviews, one of the witnesses told deputies she heard Jodi scream and say, “He is going to kill me,” and then everything went quiet, so the witness left a bedroom to see what was going on. She observed through the crack of the bathroom door Randolph facing Jodi while Jodi was sitting on the toilet, as he was standing between her legs and leaning on her. The witness called 9-1-1. The witness then went into the bathroom, where Jodi was unresponsive – the witness didn’t know where Randolph was at that time. 

Randolph told deputies that the victim had high blood pressure, and he would not explain his swollen left eye. He also had a bite mark on his left wrist. 

The victim had bruising on her neck, consistent with being strangled, bruising on her upper arm, her thigh, and a broken fingernail.  

Randolph was booked into the Polk County Jail during the early morning hours of Monday, October 1st, and charged with one count Attempted Murder, and one count VOP. His attempted murder charge was upgraded to first degree murder after the autopsy on Tuesday. 

In 2011, Randolph was sentenced to 15 years’ probation for organized fraud, out of Broward County. His recent arrest violated that probation. 

Randolph Maya’s criminal history includes the following previous arrests:
• December 1991 – FHP – DUI
• November 1993 – Osceola Co SO – Aggravated Assault
• September 1994 – Osceola Co SO – DUI
• September 1998 – PCSO – Larceny
• February 1999 – PCSO – Battery
• March 2000 – Auburndale PD – Fraud
• March 2003 – Orange Co SO – DUI
• December 2004 – Orange Co SO – Battery
• March 2006 – Broward Co SO – Failure to Appear
• December 2007 – PCSO – Out of County Warrant
• January 2008 – Broward Co SO – Larceny, Fraud
• May 2008 – Broward Co SO – Failure to Appear
• June 2008 – Miami-Dade PD – 4 counts Larceny
• August 2009 – PCSO – Out of County Warrant

PCSO responded to the residence most recently on September 14, 2018, to a disturbance call, during which Jodi told deputies that no battery occurred.