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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 Meghan Petty. 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.
Mar 1, 2024
Two arrested for accessory after the fact in Davie Albarran investigation
Media Contact: Carrie Horstman, Administrator
Polk County Sheriff's detectives have arrested a man and a woman from Lakeland for felony Accessory After the Fact of a Capital Felony (FSS 777.03) for allowing a fugitive with active warrants to hide at their home.
Davie Albarran was arrested by Polk County Sheriff's deputies on Sunday, February 18, 2024, after the PCSO received tips that he was at 10814 Country Haven Drive in Lakeland. Albarran was taken into custody for his active warrants from Osceola and Orange County.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office detectives conducted an investigation and were able to establish that Madeline Albarran, DOB 06/24/1982, (Davie Albarran’s sister) and her husband, Angel Nunez, DOB 10/01/1985, residents of 10814 Country Haven Dr, Lakeland, knew that Davie Albarran was a fugitive from Justice and they knowingly harbored him at their residence since November of 2023.
"We believed at the time that the Madeline Albarran and Angel Nunez were knowingly harboring Davie Albarran, but we had to gather evidence and proof that they knew he was a fugitive from justice on these horrible child sex abuse charges. These two knowingly helped Davie Albarran hide from law enforcement, and had been doing so for months. Now they are both facing a very serious felony charge." - Grady Judd, Sheriff
Davie Albarran was recently featured on America's Most Wanted - he's been a fugitive from Osceola County for approximately one year, for sexual battery on a child, lewd and lascivious molestation of a child, and child abuse. He has another warrant from Orange County for failure to pay child support.