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LAKELAND, Fla. June 16, 2022 – (WWSB) – A rash of car burglaries were solved after a teen accidentally shot himself with a stolen handgun.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were able to solve six recent burglaries in the Medulla area of Lakeland. There, a 14-year-old boy accidentally shot himself in the arm Wednesday night with a gun stolen from a burglary victim’s car.
The boy, K Booker, was taken to a Tampa hospital with a wound to his left forearm. He will be charged with Armed Burglary (F1, 2-counts), Burglary of Conveyance (F3, 4-counts), Grand Theft of a Firearm (F3, 2-counts), Conspiracy to Commit Burglary (F3), Conspiracy to Commit Theft (F3), Possession of Firearm by Juvenile (M1, 2-counts), Possession of Personal Identification (M1), and Petit Theft (M2, 5-counts).
At about 9:11 p.m. on Wednesday, June 15th, deputies responded to a residence in the Medulla Oaks neighborhood, just off of Old Road 37, after an accidental shooting was reported.
When officers arrived to the home, two other boys in the home denied knowing where the gun was after the shooting.
During a search of the boy’s room, a detective noticed a woman’s Michael Kors wallet with a woman’s identification card inside, and next to the wallet was a debit card which belonged to another woman. An ammunition magazine was also found behind the headboard of the bed. These items had been reported stolen during the burglaries within Cherry Lane Estates, which is adjacent to the Medulla Oaks neighborhood.
After an interview, the boys admitted to the burglaries.
The other juvenile boys, 16-year-old L Denson, and 14-year-old K Benjamin have been charged with the same crimes. All three boys were at Benjamin’s home when Booker accidentally shot himself, and the investigation determined they all committed the crimes.
K Booker was taken to a Tampa hospital with a wound to his left forearm. Investigators were also able to charge the two additional juveniles in the case.
“Most car burglaries occur to vehicles that are left unlocked, and as a law enforcement officer, that is very frustrating. Even more frustrating is when a firearm is stolen from an unlocked vehicle. Fortunately, the boy should have a full recovery, and hopefully everyone involved has learned some valuable lessons here,” said Sheriff Grady Judd.
