WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Winter Haven Detectives have arrested a man in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old at Publix on November 9, 2023.
Because of the extensive investigation by detectives into the November 2023 stabbing at Publix and working in partnership with the State Attorney’s Office, an arrest warrant for 19-year-old Teville Xavier Burgess of Lake Wales was obtained, charging him with Manslaughter. Related: Winter Haven Police Seeking Tips In Fatal Stabbing At Publix In Northgate Plaza
On Thursday at approximately 4:45 p.m., Winter Haven Police Detectives located Burgess in the area of Second Ave. in Waverly. Assisted by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Burgess was taken into custody after a brief foot chase.
Burgess had initially told detectives that he was jumped by unknown subjects inside of the business resulting in the stabbing.
Read: Polk County Sheriff Needs Your Help Identifying Lakeland ‘Handle Flipper’
However, evidence from the scene, including witness statements and video footage, tells a story conflicting with Burgess’s statements.
“The non-stop commitment of our detectives to find closure for the victim’s family shows how dedicated they are to finding the truth,” said Winter Haven Police Chief David Brannan. “We can’t always take cases at face value because there can be elements that are overlooked. As in this case, the truth was in the many details that were uncovered.”
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