An arrest has been made after a 74-year-old woman was hit and killed by a vehicle earlier this month.
- Jarvis Kendrick, 37, arrested and charged
- Janice Joy, 74, was hit and killed earlier this month
- Read previous story
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said that Jarvis Kendrick, 37, of Lakeland, was charged with one count of leaving the scene of a crash involving death, and one count of tampering with evidence.
The arrest was announced Tuesday.
Janice Joy, 74, was hit and killed while walking along Duff Road on Oct. 6.
Joy's daughter, Ronda Thompson, told our reporters recently that her mother and stepfather moved to Lakeland more than 20 years ago from the Northeast.
Judd said the sheriff's office received a tip on Oct. 13 that Kendrick was the owner of the vehicle.
Authorities also said that Kendrick reported a traffic crash to the Florida Highway Patrol on Oct. 9. He claimed he went off the roadway and hit a sign.
He also took the car to a body shop, investigators said.
He was charged with tampering with evidence because, according to a news release: "By the suspect removing the remainder of the passenger side mirror and delivering the vehicle used in the commission of this crime to a body shop in an attempt to repair it to cover up damage from the crash, the suspect unlawfully and intentionally tampered with physical evidence.”
Kendrick was booked in the Polk County Jail under a $50,000 bond.