Lakeland man charged in shooting of pregnant Plant City woman

A man was charged Saturday in last week's shooting of pregnant woman outside a Lakeland home, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.

Terry Lee Thomas, 37, of Lakeland, was arrested and charged with attempted murder, firing a missile into an occupied vehicle, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill.

He was being held in the Polk County Jail with no bail set, the sheriff's office said.

On Oct. 30, Tamesha Miles, 25, of Plant City, gave Kelvin Hall, of Lakeland, a ride to a home at 21 Noel Drive, Lakeland, investigators said. Once they arrived at the home, Hall got out of the car while Miles, who is four months pregnant, and another passenger stayed in the vehicle, the sheriff's office said.

Seconds later, Thomas came out of the home carrying a black handgun and shot at the car, the sheriff's office said. Miles was hit once in the thigh, twice in the torso and twice in the hip, the sheriff's office said.

The passenger got in the driver's seat and drove Miles to Lakeland Regional Medical Center. Miles and fetus remain in critical but stable condition, the sheriff's office said.

Deputies arrested Thomas as he went to the Polk County Jail on Saturday to visit Hall, who had been arrested Wednesday for possession of ecstasy, the sheriff's office said.

A confidential informant told investigators that Thomas was visiting Hall at the jail, the sheriff's office said. Investigators had information from witnesses who said Thomas had shot at the car with Miles in it.

Thomas was charged with attempted premeditated murder, firing a missile into an occupied vehicle, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill.

Thomas has been arrested on 33 times on various charges in Polk County, the sheriff's office said. He was sentenced to three years in state prison for grand theft, the sheriff's office said.