PRB_CAUS

1) On 5/6/2016 the Polk County Sheriff's Office responded to REDACTED, Davenport, FL in

reference to a call for service. Upon arrival, Deputies made contact with REDACTED
(victim). He advised he and four juveniles had been held hostage inside his residence. He
advised they had been held against their will by Larry Gene Howard (suspect).
2) I responded to the scene and made contact with the victim. He advised he resides at
REDACTED with his two nieces and two nephews (ages 6, 7, 11 and 13). Approximately 3
months ago, a distant relative named REDACTED had come to visit. He had been
accompanied by a white male he had only identified as "Little Man".
3) Approximately 2 day later, "Little Man" (suspect) had showed up at the residence with
four children. He had informed the victim they were homeless and needed a place to stay.
The victim had advised the suspect he did not have enough room for him and his four
children. The victim had asked the suspect to leave. The suspect had walked to his vehicle
and had retrieved a shotgun. He had walked back to the residence, had pointed it at the
victim and had stated he was going to "lay down the rules".
4) The suspect had told the victim he and his children would be staying at the victim's
house. The victim advised he had feared for his life so he had not argued with the suspect.
The suspect had moved himself and his children into the victim's residence. The other
"rules" laid down by the suspect were: the victim's two nieces could go to school, but the
victim's two nephews were not allowed to leave the residence. The suspect had told the
nieces if they told anyone he would kill their uncle and their brothers.
5) A short time after the suspect had "moved in", he had also allowed his girlfriend to move
into the residence. The victim advised he had only been allowed to leave the residence once
during the past three months. He had been accompanied by the suspect and the victim's
nieces and nephews had been forced to stay at the residence with the suspect's girlfriend.
6) On 4/14/2016, DCF and law enforcement had responded to REDACTED in an effort to
locate the suspect and his four children. The suspect had told the victim to refuse to
cooperate and had then concealed himself in a "crawl space" located under the residence.
DCF had taken possession of the suspect's children but had been unable to locate him inside
the residence. The victim advised he had not informed DCF of the suspect's location
because he had feared for the life of his nieces and nephews who were inside the residence
with the suspect.
7) The victim advised the suspect has been in possession of numerous guns and swords
during the past three months. He had continually brandished them while making verbal
threats to the victim and his nieces and nephews. The suspect had borrowed the victim's
cell phone and then had kept it to ensure the victim would not call law enforcement. The
suspect had intentionally confined and restricted the movements of the victim and the four
juveniles by threat and had falsely imprisoned them inside their residence for a period of
three months.
8) On 5/6/2016 at approximately 1445 hours, the suspect had held a shotgun to the
victim's head and had stated he was going to die today. The suspect's unlawful threat,
coupled with the act of placing a shot gun against the victim's head, had created a well-

founded fear in the victim and had placed him in fear for his life. The suspect had later
stated that "something was going to go down today."
9) The victim advised his nieces and nephews that they needed to sneak out the residence
today. He stated he felt their lives were in immediate danger if they didn't leave. The victim
waited until the suspect had entered his bedroom, he had then grabbed his nieces and
nephews and had fled from the residence. He had contacted law enforcement from a
neighbor's house.
10) Law enforcement responded to REDACTED and set up a perimeter around the victim's
house shortly after 1700 hours. The suspect's vehicle had been located in the back yard.
Law enforcement began hailing the suspect and instructing him to exit the residence. At
approximately 1829 hours, the girlfriend exited the residence. She initially advised the
suspect had run from the residence. The perimeter was maintained and law enforcement
continued to hail the suspect. The girldfriend then advised the suspect had run back into the
residence and had been armed.
11) At 1837 hours, a K-9 unit located the suspect in a crawl space under the residence. The
suspect had intentionally resisted the lawful commands of law enforcement and had
intentionally concealed himself in an attempt to resist arrest and obstruct the investigation.
12) During a subsequent search of the victim's residence, law enforcement had located a
shot gun. The victim had been able to positively identify the shotgun as the one the suspect
had held against his head. A criminal history check of the suspect revealed he has had four
prior felony convictions. Both the victim and the suspect's girlfriend stated they had seen
the suspect in possession of a shotgun on 5/6/2016. Both had also seen him in possession
of other firearms over the past three months.
13) During the investigation a black 1996 Ford Mustang had been located in the victim's
back yard. The victim advised the suspect had towed the vehicle to the location
approximately one month prior. The suspect had parked it behind the victim's residence and
had covered it with a tarp. A check of the VIN number revealed the vehicle had been stolen
from Varner Road, Davenport, FL on 3/29/2016. The owner of the vehicle responded to the
location and positively identified the Mustang as his missing vehicle. He advised it had been
taken from his residence without his permission.
14) The suspect is a prolific offender and is a suspect in numerous other crimes that have
occurred in the area. He is a suspect in a nearby home invasion in which a shotgun was
brandished. The suspect was read the Miranda Warning at 2139 hours. He denied
involvement in all charges against him.
15)The suspect was arrested and charged with 5 counts of Armed False Imprisonment,
Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon without the Intent to Kill, Possession of a Firearm
by a Convicted Felon, Grand Theft (Motor Vehicle) and Resisting a Law Enforcement Officer
without Violence.