A late-night hospital visit over a gunshot toe ended with two Bartow residents in handcuffs, after detectives said a messy story of guns, kids and alleged lies unraveled at a home on 80-Foot Road.
Madison Thomas, 21, and Cazar Caraker, 22, were arrested after a woman showed up at Bartow Regional Medical Center with a gunshot wound to a toe on her right foot, according to authorities. Detectives responded on Monday then headed to a Bartow residence where they say the pieces of the case quickly started to come together. Both suspects now face a stack of criminal charges.
Police account
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced the arrests in a post to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, saying detectives were called after the woman arrived at the hospital with the toe injury. The sheriff identified the injured woman as Madison Thomas and said investigators later went to the home tied to the shooting.
ARRESTED: 21-year-old Madison Thomas and 22-year-old Cazar Caraker of Bartow
— Polk County Sheriff 🚔 Grady Judd (@PolkCoSheriff) June 24, 2026
On Monday, June 22, 2026, PCSO detectives responded to Bartow Regional Medical Center after being notified about a woman there with a gunshot wound.
The woman was Madison Thomas, and she had a gunshot… pic.twitter.com/94COibEuDe
Allegations and charges
According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, investigators say Thomas initially gave false information about how and where the shooting happened and tried to alter data on her cellphone. The release states she grabbed a detective’s wrist when he moved to seize the phone.
Deputies allege Thomas accidentally shot her own toe and say she was arrested on counts that include battery on a law enforcement officer (F3), resisting with violence (F3), resisting without violence (M1) and providing false information during a felony investigation (M1).
The sheriff's office says Caraker tried to hide the couple’s two youngest children at a neighbor’s house and told Thomas to lie because he was not allowed to have a firearm on the property. He was arrested on multiple charges, including tampering with a witness (F1), tampering with physical evidence (F3), corruption by threat (F3), possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (F2), violation of probation (F1) and providing false information during a felony investigation (M1), according to the agency.
Background
Public registry listings reviewed by Hoodline show an entry for Cazar Lee Caraker that lists a prior conviction for lewd or lascivious battery, includes a Polk County docket number and identifies him as a registered sexual offender. The registry entry is hosted on OffenderRadar. Court records are the definitive source for conviction and sentencing details.
