UPDATE (Thursday, 3/23/2023) — Lee County Sheriff's Office has announced additional charges against 19-year-old Robert Moya.
He is now additinally charged with two counts of accessory after the fact of attempted murder and one count of tampering with evidence.
UPDATE (Monday, 3/20/2023) — The Lee County Sheriff's Office has made three more arrests related to the Lehigh Acres shooting.
20-year-old Mia Mejia-Perez, 18-year-old Timothy Gibson, and 22-year-old Jairo Zelaya we’re charged with aggravated rioting and racing on highways, street takeovers, and stunt driving while filming and posting to social media. Gibson has a prior history of burglary and drug possession.
Original reporting — The Lee County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) arrested a 17-year-old suspect in a Sunday morning shooting in Lehigh Acres. LCSO arrested 17-year-old Armando Cruz for allegedly shooting an elderly couple at the intersection of Milwaukee Boulevard and Homestead Road.
WATCH NOW | LCSO Press Conference
Cruz faces 11 different charges including two counts of attempted murder and aggravated battery, shooting into an occupied conveyance, discharging a firearm in public, occupied burglary of a boat, juvenile with a firearm, aggravated rioting, possession of a firearm during a felony and criminal mischief.
According to LCSO, the incident happened Sunday morning around 4:00. Sheriff Carmine Marceno says the couple got caught in the middle of a large group and says the group was planning to street race.
Investigators say the victims were on their way to Key West, when a large group of people surrounded the truck and boat, not allowing them to cross the intersection. Unprovoked, Marceno says Cruz shot one time through the driver's side window, hitting the man and woman.
“I want you to know this type of behavior in my county makes me irate. We implemented a task force and are tripling the number of deputies initially assigned to it. We WILL arrest those who pose a danger to our residents,” said Sheriff Carmine Marceno. pic.twitter.com/DinTxUybD1
— Carmine Marceno - Florida’s Law and Order Sheriff (@SheriffLeeFL) March 21, 2023
Both were taken to the hospital and suffered critical injuries. According to the grandson of the couple, the woman is out of the hospital and his grandfather is still recovering.
Sheriff Marceno says Cruz has a history of violence. He is one of three suspects arrested for beating a disabled man in a wheelchair in North Fort Myers back in July 2022.
Sheriff Carmine says two additional arrests were made in connection with the shooting. 19-year-old Robert Moya and 22-year-old Saviok Wood face charges of aggravated rioting after investigators say the LSCO forensics team matched their fingerprints to those found on the victims' truck.
If you know anything about the shooting, you're asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.
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