PCSO deputies arrested three juveniles, two of whom are brothers, with extensive criminal histories on Wednesday evening, August 9, 2017, for multiple felony charges, after they stole a car and burglarized other cars in Bartow, one of which was a law enforcement vehicle. All of the stolen firearms were recovered.

 

15-year-old Malik Smith of Summerlin Street in Bartow was arrested and charged with:

• Armed Burglary to a Conveyance (2 Counts)
• Grand Theft of a Firearm (4 Counts)
• Trespassing on School Grounds
• Resisting and Officer without Violence
• Carrying a Concealed Weapon
• Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a person under 18 years old
• Burglary of an unoccupied structure
• Criminal Mischief
• Grand Theft Motor Vehicle
• Tampering with Physical Evidence
• Conspiracy to Commit Grand Theft
• Violation of Injunction
• Warrant - VOP

• Armed Burglary to a Conveyance (2 Counts)
• Grand Theft of a Firearm (4 Counts)
• Grand Theft Motor Vehicle
• Violation of Probation
• Grand theft of Law Enforcement Equipment from a Law Enforcement Vehicle
• Carrying Concealed Weapon
• Conspiracy to Commit Grand Theft
• Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Sell
• Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a person under 18 years old

"Here are three juveniles, wreaking havoc throughout Bartow, breaking into cars, including a marked Sheriff's vehicle, and stealing a car, the day before school starts in Polk County. These kids are not afraid of our current juvenile justice system. The juvenile justice system is failing our kids, our victims, our state, and our community. These kids need to be held accountable for their outrageous criminal conduct, and treated like the juvenile criminals they are. Our community and our state deserve to be protected by them." - Grady Judd, Sheriff 

 

 

According to their affidavits, on August 9, 2017, multiple conveyance burglaries were reported in Bartow, having been committed during the late evening/early morning hours of August 8th through 9th, including a marked PCSO Agricultural Crimes pickup truck. The suspect(s) broke into the truck and through the locks securing the firearms in the truck, and also stole a ballistic vest, Oakley sunglasses, an iPhone, an Android tablet, and other personal items. 
    

On 8-9-17 around 1245 hours, PCSO detectives located the stolen Ford Fusion at the dead end of Summerlin Oaks Apartments, located at 980 Church St East, Bartow.

Deputies maintained surveillance of the vehicle, and at approximately 1724 hours, deputies observed a subject begin to open the door to enter the vehicle. The subject apparently saw the deputies and began fleeing through the apartment complex. Deputies chased the suspect on foot and set a perimeter immediately. Deputies located the stolen PCSO handgun, wrapped in a shirt, on the path of the foot pursuit.

K9 tracked the suspect to the area of the Polk County School Board.

The suspect was located in the crawlspace of a Polk County School Board building at 1430 Hwy 60 East, Bartow, at 2038 hours. The suspect identified himself as Malik Smith, B-M, 9-24-01. Deputies verified the identity by prior interactions. The suspect was interviewed, and post-Miranda he stated he did take the vehicle overnight, and later parked it in the back of the apartment complex to hide it and use it later.

He described that he had taken the firearms together with a subject he knows as "Deuce," a Puerto Rican male, who lives at a duplex with a silver car out front, on Gay Street, in Bartow.

He stated he drove with Deuce to the Gay Street residence and dropped off the items in the back yard. They left the items in the back yard and drove around for a while, before returning to the house in the early morning hours. He stated he took possession of one handgun, and Deuce took the rest of the firearms and property into the residence. He stated he did not know where his handgun went, but the rest of the firearms would be located at Deuce's residence.

PCSO detectives made contact with Joshua Allen Deus, at 1010 East Gay Street, Bartow,and conducted a security sweep to secure the residence for a search warrant. They observed an open trash bag in plain sight in the back yard with shotgun and handgun ammunition matching the style issued by PCSO. The discovery was consistent with Malik Smith's statements.

ADDITIONAL CHARGES FOR SMITH: Additionally, he committed resisting without violence and tampering with evidence when he intentionally fled from law enforcement and discarded a firearm of evidentiary value, concealed in a shirt. Further, he committed trespassing on school property and burglary of a structure, when he entered into the gated compound of the Polk County School Board property, and then into the crawl space of the School Board building.He committed violation of injunction as he has an active injunction for protection, served and valid from 4-12-16 through 4-12-20. The injunction is Hillsborough County case #16-10540. The injunction orders no possession of weapons or firearms. Further, he committed a minor in possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of concealed firearm. Deputies confirmed through JAC that Malik Smith is on active probation as of 5-23-17 for grand theft and burglary.