HAINES CITY — A crime spree that police say started with a Thursday robbery and took the lives of a mother and her daughter in their Polk County home ended with four suspects in custody by Friday morning.

Deborah Royal, 51, and her mother Patricia Moran, 72, were found in their home by police after neighbors called police for help.

"We know these two victims were viciously murdered,'' Polk County Sheriff Judd said, calling the scene "much too graphic to describe."

After a manhunt that briefly closed schools in the area and kept residents from returning home, four suspects were in custody: Devonere "Devon" McCune, 22, of Haines City; Michael Gordon, 34, of Lakeland; Jovan Lamb, 29, of Haines City and Terrell Williams, 29, of Haines City. The first two were in custody Thursday, but the second two were not captured until Friday.

"I want you to understand how ominous, how dangerous, the people we are dealing with here are,'' Judd said, pointing out that the suspects had attacked officers with vehicles and firearms.

He said he preferred a peaceful conclusion to a violent standoff between suspects and law enforcement, but vowed: "If they choose the latter, we'll give them a gun fight, one they'll never forget.''

"We're not taking any risks, he said earlier. "If they pull guns on us, make no mistake about it — we will shoot them. A lot."

Residents in the Chanler Ridge community were asked to stay in their homes and lock their doors. Some residents trying to return to their homes said Friday they had been kept out of their neighborhood since Thursday afternoon.

The incident began Thursday with a 5:45 p.m. robbery at Cash America Pawn on Havendale Boulevard in Auburndale.

The suspects' vehicle, a burgundy GMC Jimmy SUV, was spotted in Haines City later Thursday. Police began pursuing and suspects fired shots at them through the back window of the SUV. The vehicle eventually crashed in the Chanler Ridge community, west of U.S. 27 and north of U.S. 1792 in Haines City. All but one suspect got away.

A short time later, a resident called police regarding suspicious activity at a nearby house.

When authorities surrounded the house, a blue car came barreling out of the garage, straight at them. Officers fired at it and it crashed. One suspect was shot and bitten by a police dog before he was taken into custody. His injuries were not considered life-threatening.

Information from Times Staff Writer Josh Solomon, the Associated Press and Bay News 9 was used in this report.