A man armed with a gun remains in custody tonight after reportedly avoiding a traffic stop and leading officers on a chase early Wednesday morning at the corner of US 41 and Boy Scout Drive.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the agency conducting the investigation, says they are unable to release much information other than that an incident originated from a traffic stop, due to it being an active investigation.
This, however, all unfolded less than a mile from the Edison Mall where recent crimes have been reported near by.
Multiple viewers have reached out to Four In Your Corner worried about a police presence near the mall, some people telling Four In Your Corner, they’re hearing sirens in their neighborhood “almost every night.”
Lori Jarvis, who works at the mall, says she used live in a neighborhood near Edison Mall but decided to move away after seeing the same scene unfold near her home.
“I’d see cruisers, sirens blaring, going up and down the street, every single night,” Jarvis said. “Especially on the weekend.”
Four In Your Corner used a Crime Map that tells you where crime has made it’s stops and found there have been five incidents within a mile radius from Edison Mall within the last week.
“If I work late, I carry my pocket book close and walk very fast to the bus station,” Jarvis said. “Crime happens everywhere but I rather not be in the middle of it.”
Four In Your Corner asked Fort Myers Police if they’ve seen an uptick in crime in the area near the mall with it being holiday season, Captain Jim Mulligan says, not necessarily.
“Right now, it’s been pretty quiet.”
However, Mulligan says the number of thefts, in relation of vehicles unlocked and property inside the vehicle, is high.
“Tablets, electronics, guns in cars, people leave their vehicle unsecured and sometimes keys in their vehicle,” he said.
As far as a police presence goes, Mulligan says residents may notice more patrol officers in their area all in efforts to be proactive than reactive this holiday season.
“The last few weeks have seen an increase in vehicle burglaries, so it is something we are addressing,” Mulligan said. “We do have extra patrols at the major shopping centers throughout the holiday season.”
Meanwhile, Jarvis tells Four in Your Corner thieves aren’t just targeting cars. She says the department store she works at has been hit with more crime recently.
“There’s crime all the time. We have a bell and when that bell goes off it means someone stole items,” she said. There are even cameras out near the bus stop because there are many times people will steal and take off on the bus.”
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