News and Investigations

News & Investigations

News Releases and Public Information

Welcome to the Polk County Sheriff's Office News Room, where the Public Information Officers (PIO's) post all of the information that they release to the news media. PIO's act as liaisons between news media organizations and the Sheriff's Office. The PIO's routinely release timely and accurate information and Crime Stoppers bulletins, and respond to routine and "breaking news" media inquiries. News releases and Crime Stoppers information can be found on this page.

PCSO's full-time Public Information Officers are Brian Bruchey, Carrie Horstman, and Alicia Manautou. The Public Information Officers can be reached by sending an e-mail collectively at PIOs@polksheriff.org.

The recent news releases sent out by the PIOs can be found here, and archived releases (older than 2017) can be found here.

Jun 11, 2021

Clearwater woman arrested in Polk for DUI

Media Contact: Alicia Manautou, PIO

On Friday, June 11, 2021, the Polk County Sheriff's Office arrested 50-year-old Lee Anne Huff of Clearwater for DUI.

At around 2:30 a.m., deputies responded to the entrance of the Hamptons Golf and Country Club in Auburndale and found a red Volkswagen Beetle parked with its rear tire on a curb and Huff in the driver's seat slumped on the steering wheel. The vehicle was running.

According to the affidavit, when deputies spoke with Huff, they "observed her to have bloodshot watery eyes, and could smell a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from her breath and heard her to have slurred speech."

When Huff got out of her vehicle, deputies "observed her to have a front to back sway of approximately 2 to 4 inches." Also in the car's center console cup holder was an opened can of White Claw Hard Seltzer.

Deputies asked Huff for her driver's license, instead she gave deputies a credit card. When asked how much she had to drink, Huff told deputies, "It was f***ing awesome!"

Huff told deputies she is a 5th grade math and science teacher at Leila Davis Elementary School in Pinellas County.

"Teachers should be setting positive examples for their students and the community. Drinking and driving is the opposite of that. There is never an excuse to drink and drive. Please, take advantage of the many resources out there, and don't drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs." - Grady Judd, Sheriff

Huff was arrested for DUI (M1) and transported to the Polk County Jail where her blood alcohol level was recorded as 0.174 and 0.170 grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath. The legal threshold for DUI is 0.08 or more grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath. She is currently being held without bond.