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Welcome to the Polk County Sheriff's Office News Room, where the Public Information Officers (PIO's) post all of the information that they release to the news media. PIO's act as liaisons between news media organizations and the Sheriff's Office. The PIO's routinely release timely and accurate information and Crime Stoppers bulletins, and respond to routine and "breaking news" media inquiries. News releases and Crime Stoppers information can be found on this page.
PCSO's full-time Public Information Officers are Brian Bruchey, Carrie Horstman, and Meghan Petty. The Public Information Officers can be reached by sending an e-mail collectively at PIOs@polksheriff.org.
The recent news releases sent out by the PIOs can be found here, and archived releases (older than 2017) can be found here.
Dec 20, 2024
Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrests man for brazenly and lewdly touching a 16-year old girl at a Lakeland restaurant
Media Contact: Brian Bruchey, PIO
A 57-year old man was arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday, December 19, 2024, after an investigation determined that he intentionally and repeatedly touched the buttocks of a 16-year old girl at the Chick-fil-A restaurant at 4625 South Florida Avenue in Lakeland.
Awny Abdel Malek Basta of Lakeland was booked-in at the Polk County Jail, and charged with Lewd & Lascivious Touch (F3). The investigation remains active.
PCSO deputies responded to the restaurant at 2:55pm, but Basta had fled on foot; he was located near the Imperial Swan Hotel, less than a mile away.
According to the victim, she was seated at a table in the restaurant doing schoolwork when Basta sat down directly behind her. She told detectives that she felt something touch the upper part of her buttocks several times. When she turned around to see what was touching her, she saw that it was Basta’s hand.
After the suspect was confronted by the victim, he fled the restaurant. Restaurant staff followed and provided ongoing updates of his location to PCSO dispatchers. The suspect boarded a city bus and it drove north on S. Florida Avenue. Restaurant employees flagged down the bus at which time it stopped, and the suspect was asked to leave the bus. Patrol deputies located the suspect in a nearby parking lot and detained him.
Detectives obtained security video from the restaurant which confirmed the victim’s statements.
Basta refused to speak with investigators.
“Awny Basta is a pervert, and a sex offender with an extensive criminal history. Because of his history, our detectives believe it’s possible that there are additional victims out there. If anyone thinks they may have been a victim of this man, please contact the Special Victims Unit of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 863-298-6200. We want to make sure he’s held accountable for everything he has done.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
Basta was incarcerated three times between 2006 and 2011 in Tennessee for sexual battery charges.
In 2015, Basta was arrested after he groped a woman at a Lakeland Panera restaurant, and subsequently served 180 days in jail for battery. In 2023, Basta was arrested for groping a woman at Starbuck’s in Lakeland and charged with violation of probation and felony battery. He was released from prison on October 18, 2024.