Woman driving to friend’s house finds 15-year-old dead in the driveway, Florida cops say

A woman went to stay the night at her friend’s house in Winter Haven, Florida, after work early Tuesday, Sept. 12. But when she arrived at the house, she called her friend to tell them that someone was lying in the driveway, Florida officials said.

“They go over and confirm not only is he laying in the driveway, he’s dead,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a Tuesday news briefing.

One of the witnesses at the home called Polk County authorities around 2:30 a.m. to report the death. After an initial investigation, Judd said they identified the homicide victim as a 15-year-old boy.

He is suspected to have been a gang member, Judd said, and he may have been formally documented as one Monday, Sept. 11. His name has not been released publicly due to Marsy’s Law, which protects certain privacy rights of victims.

The investigation into the 15-year-old’s death is ongoing, and a suspect had not been identified as of Tuesday morning.

“We need calls, we need help,” Judd said.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is looking for details on who was involved in the teen’s death. Anyone with information can anonymously call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-8477 and could receive a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Winter Haven is about 50 miles east of Tampa.

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