Lakeland police are investigating whether a 4-year-old girl was molested while playing at a public park. The girl was playing inside a tube slide with an older child Friday at Common Ground Park, 1000 E. Edgewood Drive in Lakeland, police spokesman Jack Gillen said. When she emerged from the slide, her shorts were pulled down and her underwear was on backward, Gillen said. ...more

June 15, 2009

Police say the baby girl's mom was holding her at the time of the accident. ...more

June 5, 2009

A volleyball coach with the city's recreation department was arrested this afternoon, accused of pawning a necklace belonging to one of her players, police said. ...more

June 2, 2009

Authorities say a Charlotte County man accused of raping a 9-year-old girl at gunpoint has been found dead in Iowa. ...more

May 28, 2009

A 16-year-old girl is being evaluated to determine whether she has a broken leg after she was struck by a pickup this morning while retrieving the iPod she had dropped in the street, police said. ...more

May 19, 2009

A third case of swine flu has been confirmed in Sarasota County, health department officials said today. ...more

May 13, 2009

An 8-year-old girl who claimed a man tried to lure her into his van Sunday apparently made the story up so as not to get into trouble for having ventured too far on her bicycle, police said today. ...more

May 12, 2009

Police are searching for a man who tried to abduct a 9-year-old girl during a Mother's Day celebration. ...more

May 11, 2009

An attorney for Roman Polanski has told a Los Angeles judge that the fugitive film director won't appear at a hearing this week to seek dismissal of the 31-year-old sex case against him. ...more

May 4, 2009

Florida's Department of Health says the state is monitoring nine probable cases of swine flu, in addition to two confirmed cases. ...more

May 3, 2009