Arrests Made In Fatal Shooting Of 15-Year-Old In Winter Haven

WINTER HAVEN, FL — After an extensive four-day around-the-clock investigation, Polk County sheriff's homicide detectives arrested four people in connection to the murder of 15-year-old Quashawn Burgess Jr. of Bartow. One man was charged with murder and the other three as accomplices.

The teen was found fatally shot on Saint Paul Drive in Winter Haven during the early morning hours of Tuesday, Sept. 12.

Those charged are:

Rashan Harris II, 20, of the 550 block South Florida Avenue in Bartow charged with second-degree felony murder, attempted armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, dealing in stolen property, grand theft of a firearm, tampering with evidence, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, giving false information to a law enforcement officer during a capital felony investigation, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and violation of probation.

Lilia Gonzalez, 30, of the 3000 block of Saint Paul Drive in Winter Haven charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, dealing in stolen property, tampering with evidence, grand theft of a firearm, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, maintaining a residence where controlled substances are illegally kept and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jase Govia, 23, of the 3000 block of Saint Paul Drive in Winter Haven charged with maintaining a residence where controlled substances are illegally kept, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of over 20 grams of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Pierre Sauveur, 34, of the 3000 block of Saint Paul Drive in Winter Haven charged with maintaining a residence where controlled substances are illegally kept, giving false information to a law enforcement officer during a capital felony investigation, possession of over 20 grams of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

“I said during the beginning of this investigation that my detectives would not stop working until they found the suspect or suspects responsible for this young man’s murder, and they did exactly that," said Sheriff Grady Judd. "What started as the attempted robbery of a female convicted felon illegally in possession of a stolen firearm ended in a fatal shooting. A series of really bad choices by everyone involved ended in a death and hopefully very long prison sentences for two others.”

Around 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 12, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call regarding a teen who was found dead from a gunshot wound in the driveway in front of 3050 Saint Paul Drive in Winter Haven. A woman reported the death when she arrived to visit a friend.

Related: 15-Year-Old Found Fatally Shot In Winter Haven Driveway

During a neighborhood canvas, witnesses reported hearing a noise that sounded like a “pop” around 12:30 a.m. but thought it was fireworks.

Later that morning, the sheriff's office positively identified the victim as Quashawn Burgess Jr., who lived in Bartow with his mother. When they notified his mother of his death, she was unaware that he was not home in bed. She said she saw him on her living room couch at 10:30 p.m.on Sept. 11 when she went to bed. When detectives arrived at her house, she went to his bedroom and confirmed he was not there, and told them that she did not know when he left or where he had gone.

Meanwhile, detectives were also canvassing the Saint Paul Drive neighborhood, talking to residents and looking for videos from the area during the time frame before, during and after the crime. They found a video that showed multiple people going into and out of 3050 Saint Paul Drive after the shooting and then leaving in a white car. Detectives executed a search warrant at that address.

During the search, detectives said they found two backpacks containing several bags of marijuana. They interviewed resident Jase Govia, who admitted that he sells marijuana out of the house. He told them that he sold marijuana to three black males on the evening of Sept. 11. After selling the illegal drugs, he said he left in a vehicle that was parked down the road waiting for him.

After the interview, Govia was arrested on felony drug charges. Govia’s associate, Pierre Sauveur, who picked him up in a car after the shooting, was also arrested on felony drug charges.

During the investigation, detectives identified Rashan Harris II as being present with Quashawn when Quashwan was killed. Harris was unable to be located at that point in the investigation.

Detectives identified the vehicle that was seen on video arriving at the scene before the shooting and then leaving the scene right after as belonging to a friend of Harris. Detectives served a search warrant on the vehicle, which was parked at the owner’s house and confirmed that Harris used the car on Monday and Tuesday during the time of the murder.

Harris was tracked down and interviewed. He admitted he was at the scene with the Quashawn when the homicide occurred around 12:30 a.m., and that he fled without contacting law enforcement.

Harris told detectives that he picked up Quashawn in Bartow and took him to Saint Paul Drive to buy “weed” from the “weed man.” He said that after the purchase of marijuana, while he was sitting in the driver’s seat of the car they used, Quashawn walked around the corner. Harris said he “hollered” at an unknown white woman with brown hair to come speak to him and the female got into his vehicle and closed the door.

Harris told detectives he saw her door open and saw Quashawn attempt to remove her personal belongings from the car and fight with her. During the fight, he told detectives he heard a gunshot and saw Quashawn fall to the ground and the woman walk away. Harris checked on the victim, saw that he was dead and left the scene.

Harris was taken into custody on Sept. 14, and charged with two counts of violation of probation, including violating his curfew and failing to report a death. Detectives later filed numerous other felony charges, including murder, against Harris.

Detectives identified the unknown woman as Lilia Gonzalez. She initially fled the scene but detectives found and arrested her on Sept. 15.

During an interview, Gonzalez told detectives she asked Govia, her neighbor, for Harris’ contact information so she could reach out to him and illegally purchase a gun. On the evening of Sept. 111, she said she met with Harris in Bartow and bought a loaded handgun from him (she is a convicted felon and the handgun was later confirmed stolen), according to detectives.

That same evening, Harris contacted her and said he wanted to give her more bullets for the gun. He came to Saint Paul Drive and parked next door to where she lived, and told her to come over to his car, detectives said.

She told detectives that she was nervous about the visit, so she brought the gun with her in her pants pocket. She was standing outside the car talking to Harris, and he asked if they could sit in the car. She got into the front passenger seat and he got into the driver’s seat.

While sitting in the car, she said an unknown male (Quashawn) who was armed with a gun opened her door and attempted to rip her bag off her back. She said a struggle ensued. When she realized she was being robbed, she pulled the gun out of her pocket and shot Quashawn once and fled the scene.

Detectives served a search warrant at Gonzalez' home and found the gun that she purchased from Harris and she used to kill Quashawn. The gun was stolen in July from Lakeland. Detectives also found cocaine and marijuana, as well as several small clear baggies in her home and vehicle.

Judd said all four charged have criminal histories.

From 2017 to 2022, Harris was arrested and charged with 53 felonies and 26 misdemeanors, including armed robbery, battery on a law enforcement office, larceny, grand theft, dealing in stolen property, resisting arrest, petit theft, burglary, failure to appear and violation of probation. He just got out of the Polk County Jail in January after being arrested in December 2020 on 60 charges.

From 2011 to 2019, Gonzalez was arrested and charged with nine felonies and seven misdemeanors, with one felony conviction. Her prior charges include fraud, forgery, drug possession, larceny, possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to appear and violation of probation.

From 2014 to 2018, Govia was arrested and charged with four felonies and two misdemeanors, with one felony conviction. His prior charges include armed robbery, battery domestic violence, recruiting criminal gang members, burglary, resisting arrest, failure to appear and violation of probation. He spent five years in state prison for robbery and was released in February.

From 2005 to 2019, Sauveur was arrested and charged with two felonies and six misdemeanors, with two felony convictions. His prior charges include armed robbery, battery, fraud, disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, child neglect, driving without a license, failure to appear and violation of probation. He spent four years in state prison (from 2009 to 2013) for robbery, child neglect and burglary.