LAKELAND, Fla. — A 28-year-old Lakeland man is behind bars after the Polk County Sheriff's Office said he made threats toward his girlfriend, her dog and even fired shots at her car this week.
Joshua Carpenter is facing over 10 charges including attempted felony murder with a weapon after a slew of events that took place.
On March 6, deputies responded to a disturbance between him and his girlfriend, whom deputies say he only had been dating for a few days.
During the investigation, deputies discovered that on March 3, Carpenter pointed a firearm at his girlfriend and threatened to blow up her home with a grenade, according to a press release. It was on March 6 when the sheriff's office reports Carpenter broke into his girlfriend's home, stole her dog, broke her fence and took batteries out of her security cameras.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office said his girlfriend confirmed the March 3 threat, but would not discuss the March 6 incident. However, deputies were still able to make an arrest and Carpenter was taken to Polk County Jail.
After the investigation, a Polk County Judge signed a Risk Protection Order against Carpenter, which allows for the restriction of firearms by someone who poses a threat to others.
The following day, Carpenter's girlfriend bonded him out of the Polk County Jail and the sheriff's office says "they went out for drinks with a friend." Following the outing, the three of them ended up at Carpenter's home on Helena Lane in Lakeland.
Once they were at Carpenter's residence, deputies report that he became angry and his friend left in his personal car. At that time, Carpenter's girlfriend also decided to leave in her own car.
"Carpenter began yelling at her, smashed her side-view mirror with his hand, and then fired five shots at her car as she drove away," the sheriff's office said.
That same day, a Polk County detective responded to Carpenter's residence and spoke with his parents, Lawrence and Diana Carpenter. The sheriff's office said the couple acted surprised when the detective said why he was there and "denied hearing any gunshots."
Lawrence Carpenter also told the detective he hadn't seen his son since the morning of March 7 and he never heard any gunshots.
The detective was able to review security camera video at the Carpenter residence and the detective observed Josh Carpenter with a gun, shooting at his girlfriend's car.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office said there was also video footage with audio that debunked Lawrence and Diana Carpenters' accounts, showing the two of them reacting to the sound of gunshots and running outside to see what was going on outside.
While the detective was still at the Carpenter home, their 28-year-old son returned to his house and he was arrested, the sheriff's office said. Law enforcement also performed a search of the residence and found methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia belonging to Joshua Carpenter.
His parents, Diana and Lawrence were arrested and charged with providing false information to law enforcement during a criminal investigation. Diana Carpenter faces additional charges of violating probation for the sale of cocaine, maintaining a structure for drug sales, sale of marijuana, meth possession and paraphernalia possession.
Another person was at the home at the time of the investigation was 32-year-old Slater Cacace. He had warrants out of Rutherford County, Tennessee, and was arrested. Cacace was also on probation in Polk County for burglary and grand theft and was in violation of his curfew.
Joshua Carpenter faces 17 charges including attempted felony murder, felon in possession of a firearm, criminal mischief, destroying, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, use of a firearm during a felony, discharging a firearm in a residential area, burglary of an unoccupied structure unarmed and more.
He remains in the Polk County Jail, ineligible for bond.
