News and Investigations

On Tuesday, November 20, 2018, Winter Haven P.D. officers and Polk County Sheriff’s deputies apprehended 17-year-old Kyra Ploof of Apoka, and 21-year-old Jamal White of Orlando, just minutes after they committed strong-armed robbery and attempted theft at one Walmart in the city, a retail theft and battery at another Walmart in the city, and then attempted to flee. 


“Two violent shoplifters were arrested Tuesday and they face a cornucopia of charges from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Winter Haven Police Department.  Their families don’t need to bother saving a place for them at the dinner table for Thanksgiving." – Grady Judd, Sheriff

According to their affidavits, just before 3:00 p.m., the PCSO Emergency Communications Center (ECC) received a call for service at the Walmart located at 7450 Cypress Gardens Blvd (CGB), near U.S. 27, in reference to two suspects who were caught shoplifting by Walmart loss prevention. 

As witnessed by Walmart personnel, White and Ploof attempted to remove hoverboards, but were thwarted by the anti-theft devices. They then went to the electronics section, and took four streaming video devices, and headed over to the sporting goods section for a backpack, which they used to conceal the stolen goods. They headed towards the garden center to exit the store when they were confronted by loss prevention personnel and four managers. While Ploof ran out to the parking lot, White shoved one manager in the chest, and struck another one. He then approached them in a fighting stance with his fists up. Meanwhile Ploof brought the car around – a grey Nissan Altima. She yelled to White, who ran to the car and got in, and they both fled. 
 
A PCSO deputy sheriff on patrol was the first to spot the suspect vehicle leaving the parking lot and heading east on Cypress Gardens Blvd towards U.S. 27. The deputy initiated a traffic stop, but the vehicle fled. The suspect vehicle then caused a traffic crash on U.S. 27 in the intersection, striking two other vehicles. Fortunately no one was injured. 

After striking two vehicles, the suspects continued to flee, making a U-turn on 27 and heading back westbound on CGB, and purposely hitting the deputy’s patrol car. The deputy turned around and followed, then executed a P.I.T. (precision immobilization technique) maneuver, effectively stopping the car. Both suspects were taken into custody without further incident. 

During the subsequent investigation, WHPD and PCSO learned both suspects had previously gone into the other Walmart in the city (located at 355 CGB) earlier, and attempted to steal two Razor electric scooters, and two hoverboards (total value $872.00). When confronted by a loss prevention representative there, White threatened to “beat his a**” before he and Ploof fled.

White has been charged by Winter Haven P.D. with:
• Robbery (F-2) 
• Conspiracy to commit robbery (F-3) 
• Grand theft (F-3) 
• Conspiracy to commit grand theft (F-3) 
• 2 counts battery (M-1) 
• Resisting retail merchant (M-1) 
• 2 counts Contributing to the delinquency of a minor (M-1) 

He’s currently in the Polk County Jail, with no bond for the robbery charge and various bond amounts for the other charges. White’s criminal history includes five previous felonies and 12 previous misdemeanors, including arrests for grand theft of a motor vehicle, battery, DUI, reckless driving, leaving the scene of a crash, aggravated fleeing, resisting arrest, no valid DL, DWLSR, and failure to appear.

Ploof is being charged by both agencies with:
• Aggravated battery on a LEO (F-1) (PCSO charge)
• Aggravated fleeing to elude (F-2) (PCSO charge)
• Leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage (PCSO citation)
• Accessory after the fact (F-3) (WHPD charge)
• Conspiracy to commit robbery (F-3) (WHPD charge)
• Petit theft (M-2) (WHPD charge)

She was booked in at the Juvenile Assessment Center, and is now being housed in the juvenile dorm at the Polk County Jail. She has a juvenile criminal history in other counties.

The investigation is ongoing by both agencies into other crimes White and Ploof may have committed, and more charges are pending. Their relationship to each other is unknown.