LAKELAND — Lakeland Police Officer Brenda Crispin was fired today after police repeatedly told her to stop dating a man who served seven years in prison for attempted murder.

Crispin, 28, began work in November 2014, three years after her brother, Arnulfo, was shot and killed while on duty as a Lakeland police officer.

On July 23, the police department received an anonymous complaint that Crispin was involved in a relationship with a convicted felon. The caller told detectives that the felon was Callett Echeverria, 27, of Plant City.

Echeverria was arrested in Plant City in 2006 for attempted first degree murder after he fired into a car. He was convicted and served a prison sentence from Sept. 18, 2007, to Jan. 1, 2015.

He's currently on probation until Dec. 31, 2024. The Department of Corrections has listed him as a "known gang member."

Police said Crispin violated the department's insubordination policy and one that states officers shall not associate "or have personal associations with gang members, or those who have a reputation for present or past involvement in felonious or other criminal behavior.''

On Aug. 1, Crispin was served a notice of investigation and issued an official written order to have no contact with Echeverria because of his “present or past involvement in felonious or other criminal behavior.”

That order included third person contact, telephone, text-messaging, email or indirectly through family members or friends.

Crispin signed the no contact order, but two days later detectives saw on SnapChat that Crispin and Echeverria had been out together at a bar.

On Aug. 5, when Crispin arrived at work she was placed on Administrative Leave. A day later, detectives located another SnapChat video revealing that Crispin and Echeverria went to Clearwater Beach.

On Aug. 9, Crispin was served with a notice she was facing two additional counts of violating the order.

On Aug. 18, Crispin admitted during an interview to the previous meetings with Echeverria.

Crispin was paid a yearly salary of $45,700.

Crispin started at the department with much fanfare.

“I wanted to honor the sacrifice that my brother made,” she told The Ledger on her second day. “He sacrificed his life for this community.”

She told The Ledger she always wanted to be a police officer and described it as an honor to work for the department.