Suspects Taken Into Custody for Shootings at Lake Wales Mud Hole in Central Florida

Suspects were apprehended for shootings in the Lake Wales Mud Hole in central Florida.

Following an extensive investigation in which detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office identified and interviewed over 100 persons, three suspects were arrested and charged with the shooting of four people at the Lake Wales Mud Hole.

At roughly 12:18 a.m. that day, PCSO officers went to reports of many persons being shot at the property on Alturas Babson Park Cut-Off Road, west of US 27. Approximately 150 to 300 individuals attended the party, which was advertized on social media as having “good vibes, good people, and no drama.”

An 18-year-old girl from Lakeland who was still on the scene when deputies arrived received a gunshot wound to her abdomen and was taken to a local hospital by ambulance, where she is in stable condition.

Three more victims were transferred to hospitals by friends before deputies arrived. The casualties included a 20-year-old female from Lake Wales (gunshot wound to right thigh), a 19-year-old male from Lakeland (gunshot wound to left arm), and a 21-year-old female from Eagle Lake (gunshot wound to left foot).

Richard William Fante, 20, of Lakeland, Cordae DeShawn Hammonds, 19, of Avon Park, and Miguel Angel Colon, Jr., 17, of Sebring, have been charged with attempted second-degree murder (4 counts) and culpable negligence (62 charges).

Detectives interviewed several witnesses on the site, but they also had to identify and locate other witnesses over the next few days as the investigation progressed.

Following numerous interviews, the first two suspects were identified, and both were arrested and sent to the Sheriff’s Processing Center this month. The third suspect was also apprehended a few days later.

“This was an incredibly dangerous thing for young people to do and it’s a miracle nobody was killed,” Sheriff Grady Judd said. “I can’t express how proud I am of everyone who worked on this inquiry. We used a wide range of resources to thoroughly investigate this problem and resolve it fast.”