The Hardee County Sheriff's Office is asking the public for help finding 51-year-old Lashonda Baker, who is wanted on charges of robbery and aggravated battery. Deputies say Baker frequently visits the A & D Mini Mart at 1308 Martin Luther King Jr Ave in Wauchula, and anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to come forward.
According to a bulletin from the Hardee County Sheriff's Office, Baker is described as a Black female wanted on a local warrant. The post lists two charges against her: robbery and aggravated battery, both serious felonies under Florida law. The sheriff's office is directing tips to its main line at 863-773-4144.
Neither the date nor the location of the alleged underlying incident was disclosed in the bulletin, and it remains unclear whether a weapon was involved or who, if anyone, was harmed. Law enforcement agencies typically withhold those evidentiary details while a case remains active, and the warrant itself does not constitute a finding of guilt.
What the Charges Could Mean Under Florida Law
Under Florida Statute § 812.13, robbery is defined as taking money or property from another person through force, violence, assault, or by putting the victim in fear, according to Online Sunshine, the state's official statutes repository. Penalties range from a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison to a first-degree felony punishable by up to life imprisonment if a firearm or other deadly weapon was used.
Aggravated battery, meanwhile, is defined under Florida Statute § 784.045 as intentionally or knowingly causing great bodily harm, permanent disability, or permanent disfigurement, or committing battery with a deadly weapon, per DeMichael Law. That charge is classified as a second-degree felony carrying up to 15 years in prison and a fine of as much as $10,000. The same source notes that aggravated battery is ranked as a Level 7 offense under Florida's Criminal Punishment Code, meaning sentencing guidelines frequently call for state prison time even for first-time offenders unless a judge grants a downward departure.
A Rural County Leaning on Tips From Residents
The Hardee County Sheriff's Office is headquartered at 900 East Summit Street in Wauchula and oversees a rural jurisdiction spanning roughly 638 square miles, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Hardee County has an estimated population of about 25,600 residents, with Wauchula serving as the county seat, per data from United Community Indicators. That sparse, spread-out geography is part of why the agency leans so heavily on residents' tips to track down wanted individuals.
About 25.3% of Hardee County residents live below the federal poverty line, roughly double the statewide poverty rate of 12.6%, according to Census Reporter figures drawn from U.S. Census Bureau data. The same data shows Black residents make up approximately 7% of the county's population, while White residents account for 46% and Hispanic residents represent 42%.
How to Submit a Tip
Residents can report information directly to the sheriff's office at 863-773-4144. Those who prefer to remain anonymous can also contact Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-888-400-8477 or through the P3 Tips mobile app, which offers potential cash rewards for information leading to an arrest. Heartland Crime Stoppers operates as a regional nonprofit tip partner serving Hardee, Highlands, and Polk counties under agreements authorized by local county boards of commissioners.
Since July 2024, the sheriff's office has kept public comments disabled across its official social media channels due to moderation demands, meaning residents cannot post tips directly beneath the department's Facebook posts. That policy is why the agency continues to steer tipsters toward its phone line or the third-party Crime Stoppers channels instead.
The search for Baker comes a day after Hardee County deputies also sought help finding another wanted suspect on a separate felony warrant in Wauchula, underscoring how frequently the small agency turns to public tips to serve outstanding warrants across its territory.
