A Lake Wales teacher tracked his 14-year-old daughter to the home of a 17-year-old boy and assaulted him, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

  • Thomas Griffin charged with burglary with assault, criminal mischief
  • Investigators: Griffin tracked daughter by tracking cell phone
  • Deputies: Griffin is a teacher at Lake Region High in Winter Haven
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Investigators said Thomas Griffin, 43, a teacher at Lake Region High School in Winter Haven, realized his daughter was not in their home, then used the GPS location of her cellphone to track down where she was. He discovered the phone was in the area of a mobile home park where he'd dropped off his daughter recently to visit with friends.

Griffin then reportedly drove to the location and, while walking up to the home's front door, damaged the front porch gate, breaking its hinges. He knocked on the front door and, when asked by the 17-year-old who was there, identified himself as the girl's dad.

When the teen opened the door, deputies say Griffin entered the home without permission and asked where his daughter was. When he found her, he told her to go outside to his vehicle, then grabbed the teen victim by the throat, threw him on the couch and threatened to kill him if he ever went near the girl again, investigators say.

Griffin was booked into the Polk County Jail on one count of burglary with assault and one count of criminal mischief.