Latest news with #BartowPoliceDepartment
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Teen allegedly stabbed 81-year-old roommate 113 times at assisted living facility after hearing voices telling him to do it
An 18-year-old has been accused of stabbing his 81-year-old roommate to death at an assisted living facility in Florida after he allegedly heard voices in his head telling him to kill him. Moses Ojeda is charged with murder for the killing of Patrick Benway, who suffered 'a violent death,' Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at a news conference on Sunday. 'He stabbed the victim 113 times, and when we asked him during the interview, he confessed why he stabbed him 113 times,' Sheriff Judd said. 'He said, 'The knife wasn't very sharp…voices in my head told me to kill him.'" Ojeda had moved into the group home in Bartow managed by ET Home Care a day before the May 18 stabbing of Benway, who was also a resident. 'Moses said that the person he stabbed and killed was a good person,' the sheriff added. 'But he was just told that he heard sounds, voices in his head to kill the victim, and that's what he did.' Ojeda admitted to the authorities that he walked into Benway's room where he was in bed and stabbed him multiple times. He said his roommate never fought back, but instead asked him, 'why would you want to do this to me?' After the deadly attack, Ojeda cleaned the knife and put it back in the kitchen, he told detectives. He then removed his blood-stained clothing and placed it in his laundry basket. Ojeda was arrested the same day and charged with first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence. He admitted to detectives that he had wanted to kill the man because he was 'already dying' and that he has no regrets. All of the evidence gathered was consistent with the suspect's statements about the stabbing, authorities said in a press release. Prior to the incident, Ojeda had been evaluated for mental health issues and had been involuntarily committed under Florida's Baker Act six times this year. He was then released back into independent living and placed in a shared room with Benway. Ojeda's mother told investigators that she felt unsafe around her son, who has no criminal record, and made arrangements for him at the independent living facility – where she warned the staff to secure sharp objects. It's unclear how Ojeda obtained the knife or whether any staff were present during the incident. The facility has not released a statement but is reportedly cooperating with the ongoing investigation, FOX35 reported. 'This was a senseless and tragic act of violence,' Judd said. 'Our detectives, forensic investigators, and Bartow Police Department officers worked diligently to take Ojeda into custody and gather evidence to hold him accountable.' Ojeda is currently in Polk County Jail on no bond.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Yahoo
'Go to Bartow and kill': Fort Meade man dies in gunfight, injures 2 law officers, PCSO says
Two law enforcement officers are injured and a Fort Meade man is dead after a gunfight broke out outside Lowe's Home Improvement in Bartow on the afternoon of April 18. Polk Sheriff Grady Judd said the Bartow Police Department received a 911 call shortly before 4:30 p.m. from a man inside Lowe's. The man reported his son, 34-year-old Wayne Volz, was threatening his life and others. The incident started when Volz got into a verbal argument with his parents in their shared Fort Meade home Friday morning, Judd said. Volz pistol whipped his mother, according to Judd. When his father ran to her side to help, Volz threatened him and pointed a gun at the man's forehead, asking him to beg for his life. Volz held his parents hostage in their Fort Meade home starting about 11:30 a.m. Friday, according to Judd. He took their cell phones from them. Judd said he made threats to kill his parents, speaking with references to how he was Jesus and God. Volz is known to local law enforcement as "long-term drug addict," Judd said. By Friday afternoon, Volz's father, whose name has not been released, said he needed to go to his work shift at Lowe's, 425 E. Van Fleet Drive. Volz said he needed to run some errands as well and agreed to drive him to Bartow. "Wayne [Volz] said he had to, 'Go to Bartow and kill a lot of people anyway,' " Judd first stop involved Volz purchasing drugs from a man in Bartow, according to the sheriff. This is under investigation. Upon arriving at Lowe's, the father went inside and immediately told his co-workers what was happening. Judd said the co-workers hid him, and after a short period of time Volz came into the store looking for his father. "By the grace of God, he didn't shoot," Judd said. Volz's father made the 911 call. Bartow police officers and Polk deputies arrived at the scene, including a drone operator to help locate Volz. As a Polk deputy came around the building, he saw Volz walking between Florida Department of Transportation offices and Lowe's. Volz then ran past Polk's drone operator, who unaware he was armed, instructed him to stop or threatened to stun him, according to Judd. Volz ran around the corner of the building, pulled a gun and opened fire on law enforcement officers. Polk County Deputy Edwin "Ed" Alexander, a 30-year veteran, was shot clean through the forearm of his gun hand. Bartow Police Officer Mark Sills was shot in the chest, just below his badge, but the bullet was stopped by his ballistics vest. Law enforcement officers fired in return at Volz, striking him several times. Both law enforcement officers were taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center for treatment of their injuries. Both are in good condition and "good spirits," according to Judd. Volz was taken to Bartow Regional Medical Center, where life-saving measures were taken but he died of his injuries, Judd said. There is an active investigation ongoing, the sheriff said, and the 10th Judicial Circuit Officer-Involved Deadly Incident Task Force will investigate what happened. That report, once complete, will be forwarded to State Attorney Brian Haas for a separate investigation and review, Judd said. Judd said there will be no further updated information on the shooting released over the Easter weekend. This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Two officers injured, Fort Meade man dead after gunfight near Bartow Lowe's
