Two Poinciana Teens Charged with Aggravated Assault with a Firearm

Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies and detectives assigned to the Northeast District in the Four Corners region of Polk County solved a string of vehicle burglaries in Poinciana and arrested the two juvenile suspects responsible; They also recovered a stolen firearm that the suspects used to threaten another teenager.

The investigation began on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, when deputies learned that an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon had occurred in the Gannet Court area of ​​Poinciana. A teenage suspect pointed a loaded handgun at another teenager and told the victim he was going to shoot him. The victim ran away.

Deputies identified the young man named Christopher as 17-year-old Christopher Thomas. While responding to Thomas’ home on Gannet Court, they spotted him walking down Audubon Road with 16-year-old Jeremius Butler (who lived on Kingfish Drive). Deputies asked the pair about the gun, at which point Thomas admitted to seeing Butler point the gun at the victim and then throw it into the woods. He continued to cooperate and showed deputies where the loaded Glock 43 was dumped. Butler also blamed Thomas and said he helped Thomas hide the firearm.

When deputies learned the gun had been reported stolen the previous day by a homeowner on Platypus Court, Thomas and Butler admitted to stealing the gun from the victim’s vehicle. Detectives detected more vehicle thefts in the area during the same time period; Two more burglaries occurred on Blackbird Way and the suspects were seen committing them on security cameras. The suspects told deputies they were wearing masks and spying on each other as they entered cars. Victims reported money and wallets being stolen from unlocked cars. The other two vehicles could not be entered by force because their doors were locked.

Christopher Thomas, who was on parole, was arrested and charged with: Armed robbery (F1); committing a crime while wearing a mask (F1); grand theft (F3); grand theft of a firearm (F3); 2 counts theft of a vehicle (F3); 2 counts of attempted theft (F3); 2 counts of conspiracy to commit theft (F3); aggravated assault with a deadly weapon (F3), tampering with evidence (F3), possession of a firearm by a person under 18 years of age (M1), and violation of probation (M2).

Jeremius Butler was arrested and charged with: Armed robbery (F1); committing a crime while wearing a mask (F1); grand theft (F3); grand theft of a firearm (F3); 2 counts theft of a vehicle (F3); 2 counts of attempted theft (F3); 2 counts of conspiracy to commit theft (F3); aggravated assault with a deadly weapon (F3), tampering with evidence (F3), and possession of a firearm by a person under 18 years of age (M1).

“This goes far beyond children’s bad behavior. These kids broke into cars, stole a gun, and then used that loaded gun to threaten another teenager. It’s time for some serious consequences for these delinquent youths. And there is one more thing; Lock your car doors!” – Grady Judd, Sheriff