Arrest Made Crash That Killed Tampa Woman, Hurt Polk Deputy

LAKE WALES, FL — The Polk County Sheriff’s Office says a Crime Stoppers tip has led to the arrest of a person in connection with a Saturday morning hit-and-run crash that left a Tampa woman dead and a deputy seriously injured.

According to the agency, it received a tip through Heartland Crime Stoppers around noon on Nov. 3. The tipster said a truck that might be involved in the hit-and-run was seen in the area of Mar Lisa Cove Road.

"The PCSO Traffic Homicide Unit responded to Mar Lisa Cove Road, off of Camp Mack Road, and saw a blue Ford F-150 heading down the road, leaving the residential area," an email from the agency said. "They performed a traffic stop on the truck, and began talking to the driver, who was positively identified as the hit-and-run suspect: 71-year-old Charles 'Charlie' Lewis."

Deputies say Lewis "made a full confession." According to the email, he had been at a party on Oct. 28, drank beer and drove home. "He told them he knew he hit something but didn't know what he hit. He expressed remorse at killing Jessica Enchautegui-Otero and injuring Deputy Sheriff Adam Pennell."

The crash occurred early Saturday morning in the Lake Wales area. The sheriff’s office said Deputy Adam Pennell, 25, was on his way to a call and was driving west on State Road 60 just before the crash occurred. As Pennell drove between Tiger Lake and Sam Keen roads, he spotted a woman standing in the median by herself.

Pennell told dispatch he was stopping to check on the woman around 12:34 a.m. Oct. 29. He activated his lights, pulled over and spoke with the woman. At 12:35 a.m., he called for EMS to assist after learning the woman had been in a crash and her vehicle had struck a tree. At 12:37 a.m., Pennell reclassified the call to a traffic crash before updating dispatch at 12:38 a.m. with more information.

When EMS arrived on the scene at 12:45 a.m., they found Pennell and the woman, Jessica Enchautegui-Otero, 33, of Tampa, suffering from serious injuries related to a hit-and-run crash. Enchautegui-Otero was taken to Lake Wales Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Pennell was taken to Lakeland Regional Health with serious injuries. He is expected to recover, the sheriff’s office said.

The sheriff’s office said Enchautegui-Otero’s 2009 Toyota Matrix was found completely off the roadway. She was heading east on State Road 60, just east of Sam Keen Road, when her vehicle left the road and hit a tree.

"Never underestimate the power of the community," Sheriff Grady Judd said following Thursday's arrest. "Thanks to an anonymous tip,we were able to solve this case, and help bring some closure to these two families whose lives were forever changed by the reckless actions of Charlie Lewis."

Lewis will be booked into the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

No further information is being released at this time.

Photo courtesy of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office