CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. — The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office said after three years of being on it's "Most Wanted" list, deputies arrested a man wanted for shooting at teenagers in Punta Gorda in 2022.
Deputies said the original incident happened on November 17, 2022 and the suspect is 47-year-old Steven Whitney. The sheriff's office said they found him in Oregon. According to a previous press release from the sheriff's office, they got a call from three people, including two teens.
They said they were being chased by a man in a pickup truck and firing a shotgun at them.
Deputies said as the three people drove into oncoming traffic on Duncan Road from Bermont Road, the victims turned right and went towards Arcadia while still on the phone with 911.
"Terrified for their lives, the victims heard four rounds fired off and continued toward Arcadia," the release said.
The release said the victims turned back and stopped in a safe location to meet with detectives.
The release said the victims lives in the Ranchettes and were originally approached by a man with a shotgun. The man was later identified as Whitney.
According to deputies, Whitney was "spewing vulgarities at the victims." The sheriff's office said the driver quickly backed up and turned around to get away from Whitney.
Deputies searched the area and said they found a truck with one person inside, but the sheriff's office said the suspect put the truck in reverse and sped off.
The sheriff's office said they followed it for less than two minutes before it pulled into a property.
That's when deputies said Whitney came out and was arrested.
"During a search of his person, an unspent 12 gauge shotgun shell was in the subject’s left front pocket," the previous press release said. "Numerous other spent shells were located in the path where the subject had run around."
Though he was booked into the Charlotte County Jail, the sheriff's office said he fled the state and skipped out on a court appearance in January 2024.
The sheriff's office said he used fake IDs and changed his license plates on his vehicles to avoid detection on License Plate Reader systems.
In October 2025, deputies said he was hiding in Eugene, Oregon.
They contacted the police department in Eugene, who said Whitney is also a suspect in an armed robbery case they have.
Police in Oregon attempted to serve a warrant at his home, but the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office said he barricaded himself inside the home. After an hours-long standoff, deputies said he surrendered.
Detectives said they found several fake IDs, 15 pounds of marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms, and multiple firearms.
He was arrested for several charges in Oregon and will be extradited to Charlotte County. However, the sheriff's office said this could take several years due to a pending case in Oregon.
