Police department increases patrols in east Winter Garden

Following the arrest of two suspected gang leaders, the Winter Garden Police Department is increasing its presence in the eastern portion of the city.

Officers arrested Jamyl Thomas, 22, Friday,Aug. 16 while executing a search warrant at 1030 Lincoln Terrace. According to the arrest affidavit, police on the scene recognized Thomas, knowing he had an active warrant out for aggravated assault with a firearm. 

Police also arrested Daniel Leigh Moore, 21, after an incident at about 10:30 p.m. Aug. 7 in Zanders Park, 322 11th St., Winter Garden. Moore was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, aggravated assault with a firearm and unlawful discharge of a firearm. Moore was later arrested in the Dr. Phillips area, according to police.  

Both Thomas and Moore are believed to be local gang leaders, according to the Winter Garden Police Department.

“We’ve taken 15 guns off the street, and we have possible federal charges on one of them,”  Police Chief Steve Graham said, “So, we’re doing a lot of aggressive enforcement.”

Within the past month, the department has increased police presence in district four, which encompasses east Winter Garden. Graham said this is partly because of a spike in incidents involving guns over the weekends. Investigators are targeting known gang members and their criminal activity, Graham said. 

Previously, the department was offering an overtime detail on the weekends for officers to work on their days off, but now it has rearranged staff for more coverage of the area. 

“We’ve actually realigned our shifts so that we can have two vehicles, two officers in that area for the most part of the evening,” Graham said. 

He said the added police presence also is in response to two homicides over the summer involving juveniles. 

High-school student Bruce “B.J.” Haggins Jr. was allegedly abducted from the intersection of Lincoln Terrace and 11th Street May 31, when police responded to a report of gunshots around noon at the intersection, according to police. His body was discovered a week later in east Orange County.

Winter Garden teen Vamari Bostic, now 14, was charged with manslaughter, grand theft of a firearm and burglary of a conveyance following an incident July 4 at the intersection of West Crown Point Road and Edgeway Drive. James Anthony Bacon, 25, was killed during the altercation.

According to Graham, both cases were gang-related. 

Graham addressed the Winter Garden City Commission Thursday, Aug. 22, updating commissioners on what the department is doing to combat crime in district four.

“The officers are encouraged to interact with the kids out there (as) much as they can,” Graham said. “In fact, one of my officers injured her ankle playing basketball with the kids this last weekend. … They are interacting with the public out there, so we’re doing as much as we can.