A 69-year-old Haines City man ended up in the hospital with benzodiazepine poisoning after a date with a woman he met on a dating app, and Polk County detectives now say the same woman may have poisoned other men across Central Florida. Samantha Adams, 39, was arrested last Thursday and charged with second-degree attempted murder, tampering with evidence, and multiple drug possession counts after investigators say she used the alias “Nala” to target the victim before drugging him and demanding cash.
According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the investigation began on August 20 after the victim reported a suspicious medical emergency from three days earlier, following an argument with Adams over a vehicle he had bought for her. He had waited three days after being discharged from the hospital before reporting the incident to deputies. Detectives say that during the argument, Adams went into the kitchen carrying her purse and returned with two glasses of whiskey. After drinking, the pair engaged in romantic activity before Adams abruptly stopped and demanded $1,000 to continue. The victim refused to pay, and Adams left his home shortly after.
Hospital Diagnosis Points to Poisoning
The victim was rushed to AdventHealth Heart of Florida, where medical personnel administered Narcan and diagnosed him with benzodiazepine poisoning, acute toxic metabolic encephalopathy, dehydration, and acute kidney injury, according to a Facebook post detailing the case. His urine screen tested positive for benzodiazepines even though he had not been prescribed any such medication, the post states.
Detectives say this was not the first troubling incident. Per a separate Facebook post, the victim reported at least three prior suspicious blackout incidents in August after drinking with Adams, including one on August 15 in which he passed out behind the wheel and accidentally backed his truck into an Osceola County deputy's patrol car. The victim also alleged potential poisonings occurred at Adams's Orange County home, according to the same account.
Case Linked to a Prior Investigation in Lake County
Investigators connected the “Nala” alias to Adams using records from a separate Lake County Sheriff's Office investigation involving a woman who allegedly approached an elderly man to obtain money and goods, the Facebook post notes. The victim identified Adams after being shown a photo provided by investigators.
With the suspect identified, Polk County detectives set up a sting operation on August 27 at the Posner Park shopping center in Davenport, a major commercial hub near Interstate 4. Detectives arranged for Adams to meet the victim there before undercover units quickly boxed in her vehicle and took her into custody, the sheriff's office said.
Tampering Charge Tied to Disabled Security System
During the investigation, detectives discovered that the victim's home security system had been tampered with, and he recalled seeing Adams near the area where the equipment was located — the basis for the felony tampering with evidence charge filed alongside the attempted murder and drug counts, according to the sheriff's office.
Adams was also booked on possession charges covering a range of substances, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, and alprazolam, as detailed in a post from the Polk County Sheriff 🚔 Grady Judd account, which listed 9 pills of sertraline, a partial pill of Adderall, a partial pill of alprazolam, 19 pills of hydrocodone/acetaminophen, 2.5 pills of oxycodone hydrochloride, and a prescription bottle issued to someone else. Additional charges include possession of a new legend drug without a prescription, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting without violence, and offering to commit prostitution.
#BREAKING If you meet this woman online........beware. We call her the 'black widow' and the last guy she poisoned is lucky to be alive.
— Polk County Sheriff 🚔 Grady Judd (@PolkCoSheriff) September 1, 2026
Samantha Adams was charged with 2nd Degree Attempted Murder (F2), Tampering with Evidence (F3), Possession of Oxycodone (F3), Possession of… pic.twitter.com/Lx5ecQPno8
Sheriff Warns of Possible Additional Victims
Sheriff Grady Judd publicly labeled Adams a “black widow” on Tuesday and urged anyone who met her online, or experienced similar encounters, to contact law enforcement immediately, according to DailyRidge.com. Detectives suspect there may be additional unreported victims given the pattern of incidents spanning Polk, Lake, Osceola, and Orange counties.
Under Florida Statutes 782.04(2) and 777.04, attempted second-degree murder is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in state prison and up to $10,000 in fines upon conviction, according to Pumphrey Law. Prosecutors must prove an overt act imminently dangerous to another demonstrating a depraved mind, without necessarily proving intent to kill.
The case unfolds against a backdrop of rapid growth across Polk County, where the population rose more than 20 percent between 2020 and 2025, climbing from 725,046 residents to an estimated 874,790, according to Realty 100. The county sits along major Central Florida commuting corridors between Orlando and Tampa, the kind of sprawling, fast-growing terrain where dating-app connections between strangers from different counties have become increasingly common. Adams remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court, and it remains unclear whether additional victims will come forward following the sheriff's public warning.
