** Update 1p **
Polk County Sheriff’s Office Charges Suspect in Deadly Incident, Updates Investigation
Frostproof, FL — The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has filed additional charges against Primitivo Garcia, 43, of Frostproof, following a deadly confrontation Thursday evening that resulted in the death of his brother, Francisco Garcia-Vega, 52, of the same address. The incident left a deputy seriously injured.
Primitivo Garcia faces charges of second-degree felony murder, resisting arrest with violence, resisting arrest without violence, escape, and petit theft. Deputies were dispatched to arrest Garcia on a warrant for failure to pay child support when the situation escalated.
According to PCSO, Garcia actively resisted arrest, and his brother, Francisco Garcia-Vega, struck Deputy Martin in the head with a 3.5-foot-long 2×4 piece of lumber, causing a severe injury. As Garcia-Vega prepared to strike again, deputies opened fire. He was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Primitivo Garcia briefly escaped during the incident but was apprehended after deputies pursued him and deployed Tasers. Sheriff Grady Judd stated, “Francisco feloniously attacked our deputies with a deadly weapon, significantly injuring one, forcing them to shoot him.”
Deputy Martin sustained a 3.5-inch gaping wound to the back of his head, requiring 11 staples. He was treated at Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center and released early Friday morning. Martin, a 3.5-year veteran, was supported by Sergeant Collazo, a 12-year agency veteran, during the incident.
Additional Charges and Property Violations
PCSO Environmental Crimes deputies assessed the suspects’ property and found hazardous conditions, including piles of solid waste, rusted metals, household garbage, construction debris, and open containers breeding mosquito larvae. Broken pipes from a septic system and a trailer on a county easement with standing water were also noted. Primitivo Garcia faces three counts of creating a nuisance injurious to health and two counts of operating a landfill without a permit.
Criminal Histories
Primitivo Garcia, a U.S. citizen born in Florida, has a criminal record dating to 1999, with five felonies and 25 misdemeanors, including battery, resisting arrest, drug possession, and disorderly conduct. He is a convicted felon.
Francisco Garcia-Vega, a Mexican national and legal resident with a work visa, had a record since 2004, with four felonies and 10 misdemeanors, including aggravated battery, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, DUI, and failure to appear.
Ongoing Investigations
Four investigations are underway: the 10th Judicial Circuit’s Officer Involved Deadly Incident Task Force is conducting an independent probe; PCSO’s Administrative Investigations Unit is reviewing internally; the Polk County Medical Examiner is determining the cause and manner of death; and findings will be forwarded to the 10th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office for review.
Mugshots of Primitivo Garcia (current) and Francisco Garcia-Vega (from 2023) are available through PCSO. The preliminary information released Thursday remains unchanged. For updates, visit the PCSO Facebook page.
– Initial Report 7a –
Polk County Sheriff’s Deputies Involved in Frostproof Shooting During Warrant Service
Frostproof, FL – On Friday, June 13, at approximately 9:30 PM, Polk County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to West Frostproof Baptist Church Road in Frostproof to serve a warrant for failure to pay child support with a $5,000 purge.
The suspect was located 75 yards off the road in an area described by Sheriff Judd as a “junkie area.” During the arrest, the suspect resisted, and deputies secured one handcuff. A second individual approached and struck Deputy Sheriff Draven Martin in the head with a 2×4, causing a head injury. Sergeant Dicson Collazo and Deputy Martin shot the second suspect multiple times as he prepared to strike again. The second suspect was given aid but was pronounced deceased at a hospital. Deputy Martin is being treated at a local hospital.
The original suspect fled but was apprehended after a foot pursuit and tased. The Officer Involved Deadly Incident Task Force for the 10th Judicial Circuit and the medical examiner are investigating.
No further at this time.
