A 30-year-old woman wanted in connection with an armed disturbance on Lakeside Hills Loop Road in Auburndale was tracked down and arrested by Polk County Sheriff's deputies in the county's Northwest District, roughly a day after she allegedly fled the scene before officers arrived. Janique Jasmine Chaney now faces charges of armed burglary, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and aggravated battery on a pregnant person.
The Auburndale Police Department responded to a residence in the Lakeside Hills Loop Road area around 7:12 p.m. on Wednesday after reports of an armed disturbance, according to 10 Tampa Bay. What began as a call about a disturbance turned into an aggravated battery investigation, per Auburndale police, and Chaney allegedly fled the scene before officers arrived. Auburndale police reported no life-threatening or serious injuries in connection with the incident.
Warrant Leads to Arrest a Day Later
Auburndale police issued an arrest warrant for Chaney following the investigation, and Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies located and arrested her on September 10 in the county's Northwest District. The joint effort between Auburndale's municipal police force and the countywide Sheriff's Office reflects a jurisdictional handoff that isn't unusual in Polk County, where the Sheriff's Office serves a primary law enforcement territory spanning 2,010 square miles and covers roughly 65% of the county's total population, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
Auburndale itself is a much smaller municipality, with an estimated population of 21,369 as of 2025 spread across approximately 13.6 square miles within the Lakeland-Winter Haven metropolitan area, per Data Commons. The city's population has grown notably since 2020, when the Census counted 15,616 residents.
Severe Penalties Under Florida Statutes
The charges Chaney faces carry significant statutory weight. Under Florida Statute § 784.045, battery against a victim known or who should have been known to be pregnant is classified as aggravated battery, a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in state prison and a $10,000 fine, according to Florida criminal defense resources citing the statute. Notably, unlike standard aggravated battery, this charge does not require proof of serious bodily injury or weapon use.
Battery committed with a deadly weapon is likewise a second-degree felony under the same statute, carrying up to 15 years in prison regardless of whether the victim suffered great bodily harm. The armed burglary charge is the most serious of the three: entering or unlawfully remaining in a structure while armed with a dangerous weapon elevates burglary to a first-degree felony under Florida Statute § 810.02, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of life imprisonment, per the same legal source.
Part of a Pattern in Polk County
Chaney's case follows a string of recent Polk County arrests involving aggravated battery on pregnant victims. Late last month, deputies and a K9 unit tracked down a 29-year-old Lakeland man who fled after allegedly assaulting a pregnant victim on East Main Street, resulting in a second-degree felony aggravated battery charge. In June, deputies arrested a 20-year-old Lake Wales resident on charges including domestic violence aggravated battery on a 27-week pregnant woman and child abuse, as Hoodline previously reported.
Those cases arrived even as broader crime data in Polk County has trended downward. Total violent crime in the Sheriff's Office's primary jurisdiction dropped 21.9% during the first six months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, according to semi-annual Uniform Crime Report data released by the agency in July 2025. Statewide, Florida's violent crime rate fell to 145.7 per 100,000 population in 2024, down from 150.7 in 2023, continuing a multi-year decline reported by the Florida Department of Health.
Key details remain unclear, including the specific weapon involved in the alleged armed disturbance, the relationship between Chaney and the victim, and the victim's current medical status. Chaney's date of birth is listed as April 16, 1996, according to an incident release issued by the Auburndale Police Department. Her initial court appearance, where formal charges and any bond amount will be determined, has not yet been reported.
