‘A series of really bad choices’ led to 15-year-old’s death in Polk County driveway, sheriff says

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (WFLA) — Arrests have been made in the deadly shooting of a 15-year-old in Polk County, according to the sheriff’s office.

Quashawn Burgess Jr., 15, was found dead on a driveway near Winter Haven on the morning of Sept. 12.

In a previous press conference, Sheriff Grady Judd said the 15-year-old was a possible gang member. Quashawn’s mother said he was a good child who went down the wrong path.

“Here’s a good kid, and the streets had turned him into a gangster,” Judd said on Sept. 12. “But his mom still loved him and he still loved his mom. He didn’t deserve to die.”

On Monday morning, Judd said deputies learned who killed Quashawn after a four-day investigation.

Detectives first found a video showing multiple people entering and leaving a home on Saint Paul Drive, leading them to search the home of Jase Govia.

During their search, Govia admitted to selling marijuana out of the house. Deputies said he told them he sold marijuana to three people before leaving in a white car driven by his associate, Pierre Sauveur.

According to the sheriff’s office, both of these men were arrested on felony drug charges.

Detectives later learned that Rashan Harris II, 20, of Bartow was present at the shooting. When interviewed, Harris said he picked up Quashawn in Bartow and took him to the home on Saint Paul Drive to buy marijuana from the “weed man” — which was Govia’s alias, according to Judd.

The sheriff’s office said after buying the marijuana, he called a woman over to his vehicle to speak with her.

“Rashan stated he and the female got into his vehicle and closed the door,” the sheriff’s office said. “Rashan stated he saw her door open and saw Quashawn attempting to remove her personal belongings and ultimately getting into an altercation with her. During the altercation, he heard a gun go off and saw Quashawn fall to the ground and saw the woman walk away. Rashan checked on the victim, saw that he was dead, and left the scene.”

This woman was later identified as Lilia Gonzalez, who lived just down the road from Govia. Gonzalez was said to be a convicted felon out of Osceola County.

Detectives said Gonzalez told them she previously asked Govia to get her in touch with Harris so she could buy a gun. She bought a handgun, later confirmed as stolen by deputies, from Harris in Bartow on the evening of Sept. 11.

However, Harris later contacted her again to give her more bullets, saying he forgot to give them to her, the sheriff’s office said.

According to detectives, Gonzalez said she was nervous about meeting with Harris so she brought the gun and asked to get into his vehicle because she did not want to stand outside.

Deputies said it was then that Quashawn tried to rob her at gunpoint, prompting Gonzalez to shoot him once. She said she fled because she did not want to get in trouble.

“What started as the attempted robbery of a female convicted felon illegally in possession of a stolen firearm ended in a fatal shooting,” Judd said. “A series of really bad choices by everyone involved ended in a death and hopefully very long prison sentences for two others.”

The sheriff said while Gonzalez was not charged with murdering Quashawn, Harris would be charged with second-degree murder because his friend died during the commission of a felony.

“When you live by the gun, you die by the gun,” Judd said.

Each party named in this incident was arrested on numerous charges, which are listed below:

Rashan Harris II of Bartow: