An anonymous tip received by Heartland Crime Stoppers and relayed to the Polk County Sheriff's Office led deputies to Austin Daniel Richardson, a Winter Haven man facing a slew of charges including attempted second-degree murder, as reported by the Polk Sheriff's Office. When deputies arrived on the scene at a residence on Country Place SW early on December 13, they found 24-year-old Richardson, who upon their arrival immediately acknowledged his pursuers with a simple declaration: "I'm the one you're looking for."
Richardson is accused of committing his alleged crimes on July 29, in a neighborhood near Thornhill Road and Spirit Lake Road, the details of which were outlined in the original crime report he also has an outstanding warrant in Orange County related to a failure to appear in court for a DUI. In the early hours of December 13, deputies secured his arrest without further incident, and he has since been detained at the Sheriff's Processing Center based on the existing warrant.
Aside from the attempted murder charge, Richardson faces allegations of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, discharging a firearm in a residential area, and the improper exhibition of a firearm; these charges are reflective of a deeply troubling narrative that unfolded on a seemingly tranquil Polk County street this past summer. The initial report of these events was provided by the Polk County Sheriff's Office, who made Richardson's arrest public knowledge in a news release shared on December 13, two days prior to this writing.
With Richardson in custody, the community breathes a collective sigh of relief as justice appears to proceed; the anonymity of the tipster remains protected, a cornerstone of Crime Stoppers' operational ethos which encourages community members to provide information without fear of retribution.
