A Wisconsin tourist who deputies say used her rental minivan to mow down a resort security guard in Davenport was intercepted at Orlando International Airport as she tried to fly home. The guard escaped with non-serious injuries, but authorities say the woman is now staring down felony charges and is being held in Orange County while Polk County works to bring her back on a warrant.
According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the trouble kicked off around 9 p.m. Saturday when 32-year-old Tayquanna Butler of Green Bay, Wisconsin, pulled up to the gated entrance of Windsor Island Resort in a gray Chrysler Pacifica and refused to show ID. Investigators say the gate guard followed Butler, who allegedly asked him twice, “You wanna get hit?” before driving the minivan into him and pinning him between the vehicle and his patrol car. The guard was not seriously hurt, though his duty-belt gear and the patrol car were damaged. “You're not going to come into Polk County and act the way you do back home,” Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement.
As reported by Tampa Free Press, detectives used rental records to confirm Butler as a guest at the resort from July 2 to 6 and secured arrest warrants. With a flight booked for the next day, investigators coordinated with Orlando International Airport police and TSA and stopped her at the check-in counter on July 7, where she was taken into custody. The outlet reports she is being held in the Orange County Jail while she waits to be transferred to Polk County.
Charges and Potential Penalties
Detectives obtained warrants charging Butler with aggravated battery, a second-degree felony, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a third-degree felony, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office. Under Florida law, a second-degree felony can carry a maximum prison term of up to 15 years and a third-degree felony up to five years, per the Florida Senate, though any eventual sentence would depend on convictions, plea deals and prosecutorial decisions. If Polk County moves ahead, Butler will be processed through the county court system after extradition.
How Investigators Traced the Suspect
Detectives say they relied on rental reservation records and interagency coordination to track Butler down before she could leave the state, Tampa Free Press reports. A background check cited by local outlets shows prior arrests in Wisconsin for disorderly conduct and domestic abuse. Polk County officials have not said whether they plan to pursue any additional charges as the case moves forward.
