POLK COUNTY, Fla — On November 26, around noon, 11:54 PM, the Auburndale Police Department responded to a call at the intersection of Lime Street and Charles Avenue for a person in the road.
Officers say the person was identified as 18-year-old Zachary Jorden-Lee Brown. They were unresponsive with two stab wounds.
"Brown was located in the street and appeared to be severely injured with a significant amount of blood loss where he was later treated by Polk County Fire Rescue and transported to Lakeland Regional Health for treatment."- Police
The suspect, a 14-year-old, ran home to call 911. The suspect returned to the scene and was still there when officers arrived. The 14-year-old was taken into custody.
The victim was transported to Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center and was pronounced dead. The incident is still an active and ongoing investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Chris Wall at (863) 965-5555 or if you have information and would like to remain anonymous YOU CAN call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS(8477).
Read the full police report below:
"Brown and Zacarez have been in a dating style relationship for approximately nine months at the time of the incident and had previously arranged to meet near Zacarez' house which was common for the two. Brown brought alcohol for the two of them and they both drank at least approximately one shot of Fireball (whiskey) while they were together. During that time Zacarez stated that they got into an argument about something he could not remember, and during the argument Brown closed Zacarez' finger in the door to Brown's vehicle that they were outside of.
Zacarez stated that he got mad because of that and wanted to get his things and go home for the evening. Zacarez stated that he did go back to his house to treat his finger which he stated was bleeding. Once Zacarez treated the injury to his finger with a band-aid and some ice he collected a kitchen knife from a cabinet in the kitchen and returned to where Brown was still located in the area of his vehicle.
Zacarez stated that he did not have the knife to where Brown could see it and confronted him about the argument that occurred approximately 10 minutes earlier. Zacarez stated he did not remember exactly what happened other than he stabbed Brown in the arm, and maybe his chest. Zacarez stated that he panicked, and that Brown told him to call 9-1-1.
Zacarez ran back to his house barefoot as indicated by the trail of bloody footprints leading from the location where Brown was bleeding to the back door of Zacarez' residence at 319 Pine Street, Auburndale, FL. Zacarez entered the residence for the second time and called 9-1-1 to request medical assistance for Brown. Prior to exiting the residence Zacarez also grabbed a standard bathroom-type towel from the bathroom and brought it to where Brown was lying in the street.
Zacarez stated that he attempted to render aid and stop the bleeding, and he stayed there until law enforcement arrived. Zacarez was taken into custody approximately eight minutes after the initial 9-1-1 call.
At that time Zacarez' clothes and parts of his body were covered in apparent blood and made several spontaneous statements indicating that he stabbed Brown. Zacarez stated that at no time was anyone else involved, and that he and Brown were the only individuals present at the time the incident occurred. Brown was later found to have a laceration to both the arm, and the upper chest area, that was consistent with being stabbed by a knife.
Zacarez described the knife as a kitchen knife with a black handle that he later put in Brown's truck after stabbing both Brown, and the tire of Brown's vehicle. A black handle kitchen knife was also located in plain view in the front passenger seat of Brown's vehicle. Brown was later declared deceased by the hospital staff at 0044 hours on November 27, 2021, as a result of the injuries sustained from the stabbing.
Zacarez also later provided a post-Miranda recorded statement outlining the incident at 0222 hours. At this time there is no articulable reason to believe that any other parties were involved in the incident. On November 26, 2021, Zacarez unlawfully struck Brown with a knife against his will causing serious injuries that later resulted in Brown's death."
