News and Investigations

The Polk County Sheriff's Office Traffic Homicide Unit has arrested the suspect responsible for running over and killing a 21-year-old woman in Winter Haven during the early morning hours of September 28, 2025, then fleeing the scene.

Francisco Lapierre, 41, of Auburndale, has been booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving death, a first degree felony. He will have a first appearance hearing this afternoon (October 14, 2025).

Click here to hear Sheriff Judd's comments on the arrest.

Around 1:40 a.m. that morning, the Winter Haven Police Department responded to a shots fired call at the Kulture nightclub on 1st Street North in the city. Shortly thereafter, a woman was hit in the roadway by a suspect who then fled. Winter Haven Police immediately rendered aid to the victim, and PCSO responded to assume that portion of the investigation. The woman succumbed to her injuries at the hospital. 

The main witness to the crash told deputies that she and the victim had crossed the southbound lanes of 1st Street North and were waiting in the center grass median to continue to cross over the northbound lanes, when the victim decided to cross. At the same time, Lapierre was inside his 2005 Porsche Cayenne fleeing from the scene of the shooting. He applied his brakes before striking the victim, then backed over her and sped away from the scene. Several other witnesses saw the dark-colored SUV hit the victim and then immediately leave.

During an extensive investigation, including reviewing numerous videos from the surrounding area and tips from the public, detectives identified the suspect vehicle and learned it had recently been re-registered to a man living in Palm Beach County. They responded and interviewed the man, who said his uncle (Lapierre) had transferred the SUV to him. The new vehicle owner had no knowledge of the crash or investigation.

A forensic examination of the vehicle confirmed that it had been involved in a crash and ran over something or someone.

Detectives interviewed Lapierre, who admitted to "running something over" and then continuing to drive away, and that he then transferred the vehicle to his nephew.