Winter Haven Police –
A homeless man is facing numerous charges after he steals a police car with a K-9 inside and crashes into multiple vehicles after burglarizing a Winter Haven Amscot.
On 5-13-23 at approximately 9:20 p.m., a 9-1-1 call was received from employees at Amscot (2121 8th St NW) in Winter Haven. Three employees were inside of the business when a rock was thrown through a front glass door. Twenty-year-old Menyelek Jarrett entered the business and threw another rock at the teller glass, which failed to shatter. He attempted to enter the door of the teller area and when he couldn’t get in, he exited the business.
Officers arriving on scene were unaware that Jarrett had exited the business. As officers entered the business, Jarrett broke the driver’s side window of Sgt. Garcia’s locked patrol vehicle where K-9 Logan was secured in the back. Jarrett drove off towards the intersection of 8th St (Hwy 17) and Havendale Blvd. where he crashed into multiple vehicles. The patrol vehicle was disabled and Jarrett exited the vehicle and started running towards Inman Park. Additional officers responding to the scene chased Jarrett on foot, ultimately utilizing a Taser and taking him into custody.
One person in a crashed vehicle was taken to the hospital with head pain. No other injuries were reported to civilians or officers. K-9 Logan is safe as well.
Jarrett was taken to Winter Haven Health for treatment and then booked into the Polk County Jail. He is currently being held with no bond.
Jarrett is being charged with (1) Count of Business Burglary, (1) Count of Grand Theft-Motor Vehicle,
(1) Count of Attempted Burglary of Conveyance, (1) Count of Tampering with a Police K9, (1) Count of Resisting without Violence, (1) Count of Leaving the Scene of a Crash with Injury, (1) Count of Reckless Driving, (1) Count of No Valid DL-Never Issued.
