Polk City, Fla. (970 WFLA)-Facebook fans and social media sleuths, the Polk County Sheriff Detectives need your help! They are investigating a shooting that resulted in the death of 68-year-old William Reiss. This shooting occurred in his home at 7462 Berkley Road in Polk City on Wednesday, January 3, 2018, around 1:45 p.m.
Good Samaritans found 57-year-old Kenneth Maier, of Polk City, outside of the home with gunshot wounds. After Maier flagged down witnesses for help, he told them that William Reiss was inside of the home.
When deputies arrived on-scene, Maier told them that William Reiss' 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 4-door, with a Florida license plate Z2SKD with a handicapped logo, was missing from the driveway. The truck has wooden fence rails, similar to siding, on the back and it has shiny rims.
Maier was transported to a local hospital and is still in critical, but stable condition at this time.
During the investigation, detectives discovered that Reiss collected firearms. They determined that up to 31 firearms were stolen from the residence; including long guns and pistols. We have attached a few pictures of guns that we believe were stolen - some are unusual and should be easily recognizable.
Approximately 20 minutes before deputies responded to the location, video surveillance from a residence and several businesses on Berkley Road and Commonwealth Avenue North show an unknown black Chevrolet Sedan (possibly Sonic LT) traveling southbound on Berkley Road and Commonwealth Avenue North minutes before the incident occurred.
After the incident occurred, the unknown black Chevrolet sedan (possibly a Sonic LT) and the victim's 2008 blue Dodge Ram 1500 are last seen traveling northbound on Commonwealth Avenue North in Polk City around 1:40 p.m. on Wednesday, January 3, 2018.
Detectives are trying to identify the owners/drivers of the black Chevrolet Sedan (possibly a Sonic LT), and still attempting to locate the stolen 2008 blue Dodge Ram.
"We have an unknown amount of suspects on the loose with up to 31 stolen firearms. They are dangerous and capable of murder. Crime Stoppers is offering a $3,000 reward for information about these suspects. We need to find them before they hurt anyone else." Grady Judd, Sheriff
If you have any information about the whereabouts of the stolen Dodge Ram, the identity of those driving the black Chevrolet Sedan (possibly a Sonic LT), or information about this crime, please call us at 863-298-6200. Do not attempt to interact with these suspects - they are armed and dangerous.
Anyone with information about this crime who wants to remain anonymous and be eligible for a $3,000 reward is asked to call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS or log onto www.p3tips.com to submit your tip via the web. For a secure and password protected mobile app for your smart device, go to the app store and download the free "P3Tips" mobile app. No caller ID, no recorded lines, no tracking cookies, no saved IP addresses.
Credit:Polk County Sheriff's Office