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Jun 8, 2020
PCSO and LPD make 5 arrests after May 31st protest in Lakeland
Media Contact: Carrie Horstman, PIO
Between June 6 - 7, 2020, PCSO detectives, working with Lakeland Police Officers, investigated five individuals who committed crimes before, during, or after the scheduled protest in the city of Lakeland on May 31, 2020. Warrants for their arrests were obtained, and they were each arrested and booked into the Polk County Jail.
The following is a list of the suspects, and excerpts from their affidavits:
However after several hours numerous subjects from the assembly/protests moved from the park to the intersection of Massachusetts Ave and E Pine St. where protesters began to block the intersection. This area is in front of the Lakeland Police Department. During this time, one subject, Raul Guzman (defendant) began making statements to attempt to incite a riot. As protesters were walking towards the intersection, a witness, who provided a sworn recorded statement, advised Guzman made numerous comments to her stating that he was maced in Orlando and "wants to riot." The witness advised Guzman stated he wanted to "storm" LPD. Guzman was heard encouraging people to go into the streets, and helped initiate blocking the intersection. These statements were made in front of numerous people, and the language used was advocating violence and was intended to incite an immediate breach of peace. The witness advised several people attempted to stop Guzman, by telling him and others to stay out of the street, and go back to the park, however their efforts had no effect on stopping the protesters from blocking the intersection.
The protest then moved to Massachusetts Ave to E. Pine St to the intersection of Memorial Blvd and N. Florida Ave. In both intersections, protesters turned violent, as they blocked the flow of traffic, trapping vehicles in the crowd of people. Additionally items were thrown at vehicles, and protesters refused to leave the area when given lawful orders to disperse by law enforcement.
The witness described Guzman by the red mask he was wearing, and that he did not have on a shirt. Using investigative resources, law enforcement was able to positively identify the subject as Raul Guzman. Guzman's actions and words helped encourage an immediate breach of peace, inciting a riot, wherein a large group of protesters acted defiantly and unlawfully.
On June 7, 2020, Guzman responded to a PCSO substation, where he was taken into custody on his arrest warrant. Guzman's cell phone, a red vest, and a skull mask, all of which Guzman was seen wearing during the incident by witnesses, all of which were located and collected by deputies. The investigation is ongoing.
Carlos Fugarte, DOB 5/13/92, of Lake Wales, charged by PCSO with written threat to kill (F2) : On 05/30/2020 the Polk County Sheriff's Office received intelligence in reference to possible protests in the area of Munn Park in Lakeland, FL. Lawful assemblies were observed in Munn Park, and this original assembly was active, and peaceful for several hours. This lawful assembly was conducted in a confined area (the park), where it did not impede any flow of traffic, or disturb the everyday movement of other citizens in the area.
However after several hours the peaceful protest turned violent, and the crowd moved to the intersection Massachusetts Ave and E Pine St. in front of the Lakeland Police Department. After blocking that intersection the protesters then moved to the intersection of Memorial Blvd and N Florida Ave, where protesters again blocked the intersection and impeded the flow of traffic. Additionally items were thrown at vehicles, and protesters refused to leave the area when given orders by law enforcement. During the active protests, law enforcement received a complaint from concerned citizens.
The complaint received was a screenshot from a Facebook live video. In the chat section of the video, a user by the name of "Woodboy Los" wrote "Go to Bartow and blow up the courthouse." The user was positively identified as Carlos Alfredo Fugarte. Additionally during this time, user "Woodboy Los" posted on his Facebook page "Polk county is next everybody be ready it's a movie tonight in Polk County." This comment and post was made during the time of the active riot in Lakeland.
On 06/06/2020 at approximately 1734 hours I made contact with Carlos Fugarte at 2000 Hwy 60 E #A Lake Wales, FL. Fugarte confirmed his Facebook page "Woodboy Los" and that he wrote the comment. Fugarte advised he and his friends didn't like that people were setting fire to the businesses and stated he thought the courthouse was a better place. Fugarte confirmed he wrote the comment about blowing up the courthouse, but advised he was not being serious, and that the comment was joke.
Fugarte intentionally used written electronic communication to transmit a threat of terrorism (by enticing someone to blow up the courthouse). This was done in a manner that would allow another person to view the threat, and perceive it as a threat. The act of terrorism is defined as a violent act or an act dangerous to human life. Fugarte's written statement was perceived by a citizen as a violent act that was intended to intimidate, injure or coerce a civilian population.
Joshua Allen Daniel, DOB 11/19/96, of Lakeland, charged by LPD with felony criminal mischief (F3) : On May 31st, 2020 at or around 3:00 to 4:00 pm the victim stated he was driving south on Florida Avenue in his 2002 maroon Dodge when he encountered numerous subjects illegally standing in the roadway at Florida and Memorial Blvd., blocking his lane of travel and impeding his movement. With no avenue of escape or method of exiting the violent crowd, the victim stayed moving forward at a slow and controlled pace, subsequently he was forced by the crowd to stop. As he came to a stop he was stabbed in the left hand, punched in the right eye and over his body; his car windshield, sunroof and rear window were all broken out.
While being brutally attacked from unknown persons on each side of him, a white male subject wearing what appears to be a straw cowboy hat, green T-shirt, blue shorts and sneakers with an unidentified tattoo on his lower left calve area jumped onto the hood of the victim's vehicle. From viewing video tapes and numerous pictures taken, as well as videos and pictures posted on social media, a white male is seen climbing onto the hood of the victim's vehicle, taking his right leg/foot and slamming it through the windshield with force causing the windshield to shatter as his foot goes through the windshield. The suspect then climbs onto the roof of the victim's vehicle and smashes out the sunroof with his feet, subsequently jumping off the roof, walking off into the crowd. Later in social media postings there are numerous pictures of the same suspect entering a compact vehicle. The suspect was positively identified as Joshua Allen Daniel, a white male with a date of birth of, 11/19/1996. Victim estimates damages to his car to be valued over $1,000.00 dollars.
Anthony Jerrell Martin, Jr., DOB 6/22/90, of Winter Haven, charged by LPD with inciting a riot (F3), and soliciting to commit felony criminal mischief (M1) : On Sunday May 31, 2020, LPD detectives had obtained a Facebook live video that was recorded by a subject known as "Cousin Champ" who was positively identified as Anthony Jerrell Martin DOB 6/22/1990, with a last known address of 3364 Avenue S in Winter Haven.
Martin's video is 19:03 minutes long, appeared to be streamed live from a bedroom, and was posted live at approximately 12 pm. Martin's face was visible during the entirety of the video. He also while making the video panned the camera showing that he was alone in the bedroom. The following quotes from the video are being documented by this officer to establish probable cause for arrest.
(00:49) The defendant identifies himself as "Cousin Champ" and stated that black people need to tear down the court house, jails, the probation office, child support offices and the insurance companies offices.
(1:39} Martin specifically asked who is going to meet him at the Lakeland Mall, Martin's video was being aired live and as such there were other people that were joining and interacting with Martin by posting comments. Martin can be seen responding verbally to people who were actively commenting on his live video.
{2:07) Again while speaking about the city of Lakeland, Martin stated he is "trying to tear this bitch down"
(4:00) Martin stated "tighten up here Polk County, let's go" "fuck the police" this statement is an attempt to inspire others to come to Lakeland and follow him.
(4:29) Martin specifically attacks the Lakeland Police Department saying, "Fuck Lakeland I don't give a shit about Lakeland Police, Fuck Let's get it'' "I'm gonna tear that city down" Martin at this point has stated several times that he has been to prison two times and is not afraid to go back.
{5:11) "Who with me, Who Hanging with Cousin Champ". Martin is still broadcasting live and encouraging others to join him at a protest that has been scheduled in Lakeland on this date.
(5:19) Martin stated "I'm gonna pull up in Lakeland" The protest was scheduled to begin at 12PM and as of 1PM there were more than 500 people peaceably protesting. Continuous monitoring of Martin's Social media indicated that he was enroute to Lakeland to actively participate in the protest.
The remainder of the video Martin narrates and ad-libs to various rap songs promoting civil disorder and anti-law views including violence.
Zachary Root, DOB 8/10/93, of Lakeland, charged by LPD with stalking/cyberstalking (M1) : On Sunday, May 31st, 2020, at approximately 1600 hours, the victim was located southbound on North Florida Avenue, at the intersection of Memorial Boulevard, Lakeland. This intersection is within the jurisdiction of the Lakeland Police Department.
The victim was driving his white truck with a boat/trailer attached to the rear. The victim observed a large amount of pedestrian traffic in the roadway of North Florida Avenue and Memorial Boulevard, which was causing a traffic obstruction and hazard.
Unable to make a U-turn and avoid the pedestrian traffic, the victim made a left turn, traveling eastbound on Memorial Boulevard in a slow, safe and prudent matter with regard to the heavy pedestrian traffic violating vehicle right of way. It will be noted this was during the civil unrest this area of Lakeland was experiencing. Several hundred pedestrians were occupying the public roadways at this time and obstructing the normal flow of traffic which was influenced by this major intersection.
On Monday, June 1st, 2020, the victim was having a conversation with a known associate in a public place. During that conversation, the victim had spoken that he had to navigate through pedestrian traffic.
The defendant, who was not part of the conversation, interjected stating he was part of the civil unrest and had almost been injured by a red vehicle towing a boat. The victim replied to the defendant that he was operating a white vehicle, and not a red vehicle. Shortly afterwards, and without further discussion, the victim exited the public place and its respective parking lot in his wife's sedan.
A short time afterwards, the victim was contacted by his wife, stating she was informed by security at her place of business that a Zachary Root was posting information within social media in an attempt to solicit information on the victim. The victim provided screen shots of the messages in question for this investigation. The screenshots show that the defendant posted five separate "updates" detailing the victims' movements, their vehicle with tag number, and employment of both the victim and his wife.
The victim responded to the Lakeland Police Department and filed a report. During the initial investigation, the original investigating officer was able to locate a telephone number for the defendant, spoke to the defendant, and advised the defendant to cease and desist.
The victim did not provide any personal details to the defendant during their short interaction and had never met him before. The victim's wife also has never met the defendant. For these reasons, the defendant must have taken specific efforts to research and post the personal information within social media in attempts to identify the victim.
The Lakeland Police Department did not receive any calls-for-service on or after May 31, 2020 by any individuals claiming to have been struck or nearly struck by a vehicle pulling a boat/trailer. Root is not listed in any police report filed on or after May 31, 2020 to the Lakeland Police Department.
The victim stated he had a well-founded fear that his vehicle/license plate would be recognized by a person who read the post and would retaliate. The victim stated he responded to the Polk County Tax Collector's Office and replaced the license plate. The victim stated he has been utilizing Uber and other means of transportation to prevent the defendant or follower of the defendant's post to identify him for retaliation.