On Monday, December 4th, Sheriff Grady Judd presented Sheriff’s Commendations to two people who played important roles in the capture of a suspect and the rescue of the boy he had kidnapped.
In July of 2023, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office issued a statewide Amber Alert for a 12-year old boy who was kidnapped by an armed suspect.
Angie Harvey, a clerk at the Grape Hammock Camp Grounds in Lake Wales saw the Amber Alert information on social media and recognized the suspect as a guest at the park. Angie immediately notified Park Manager Barrett Chandley, who in turn, contacted the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Mr. Chandley provided PCSO deputies with detailed maps and information which gave deputies a tactical advantage in capturing the suspect and safely rescuing the boy.