Inside Scoop

LEESBURG, Florida—A 34-time convicted felon has been arrested in a baseball bat attack that sent a man to the hospital in December. According to a probable cause affidavit, Leesburg Police responded to UF Health Leesburg on Dec. 13 to meet with victim who told them he was in the 2100 block of Harlem Avenue when a man he knew as “Hollywood Swag,” approached him. He said, “Hollywood Swag,” identified several months later as Rodney Lamar Woods, had made numerous attempts to fight him and he was trying to avoid it. The victim started to walk away, and Woods started running

LEESBURG, Florida—A man who admitted to police he stabbed a woman with a machete last week because he was tired of her “(expletive) talking,” is being held in the Lake County Jail on $10,000 bond. Leesburg Police responded to the city’s bicycle trail near the 900 block of Stinson Street on a report of a stabbing, shortly before 10 a.m. Feb. 18. The victim told police she was stabbed with a machete by Kenneth Eugene Hicks, 42, of Eustis, during an argument over ongoing issues and her refusal to allow him to use her illegal drugs, according to an arrest

LEESBURG, Florida—A 22-year-old Leesburg man is facing a slew of charges after shooting at his sister, threatening a Leesburg Police officer, and battering another Sunday evening, according to an arrest affidavit. Leesburg Police responded to a home on Baker Street on a report of a shooting around 6 p.m. Sunday. When they arrived, Anthony M. Jones, 22, was in the front yard arguing with multiple people, according to an arrest affidavit. Two people were reportedly yelling at Jones for shooting at his sister and LPD immediately detained Jones, who told them they would not find the firearms or the casings,

LEESBURG, Florida—The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has identified one of the people killed in Leesburg Wednesday morning. Jammy Casteel, 41, was found shot on the front porch of his home at 804 Montclair Road around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, LCSO Lt. John Herrell said. LCSO responded to a report of a shooting and found Casteel and a second person dead in the home. Casteel, who lived at the home, was transported to UF Health Leesburg, where he succumbed to his injuries. At press time, LCSO had not identified the second person, Herrell said. “This was not a random act of violence.

LEESBURG, Florida—An emergency room doctor at UF Health Leesburg was arrested Wednesday for hitting his patient in the face multiple times. Dr. Onyekachi Nwabuko, 44, went to the victim’s room to assess her for intubation, and believed she was faking her condition, according to Leesburg Police Lt. Scott Mack. A witness told Leesburg Police Nwabuko struck the victim with her own left hand multiple times while the victim actively resisted, the witness said. Nwabuko then left the room and came back two more times and struck the victim multiple times on each visit. Another witness told police they could hear

LEESBURG, Florida—Two people were killed in a single-vehicle crash into a retention pond early Wednesday morning, according to Leesburg Police Department Lt. Scott Mack. LPD responded to the crash near the intersection of U.S. Highway 27 and U.S Highway 441 at 4:04 a.m. and found 2018 Hyundai passenger car in the retention pond. Tristan Pope, 22, of Eagle, Idaho, who was driving, and Cody Giovanetti, 28, of Boise, Idaho were both pronounced dead on the scene. The preliminary investigation revealed Pope was driving north on U.S. 27, lost control of the Hyundai, left the roadway and entered the pond. The

LEESBURG, Florida—A Leesburg High School student was arrested Friday after he was found with a loaded gun in his backpack, according to an arrest affidavit. Acting on a tip, an LHS school resource officer searched the backpack of Jamonte J’Quan Chambliss, 18, around 8:45 a.m. Friday and found a small black Nike bag; inside that bag the SRO found a loaded 9mm handgun. The gun was not reported stolen. Chambliss was arrested for carrying a concealed firearm and possession of a firearm on school grounds. He was transported to the Lake County Jail where he is being held on $4,000

LEESBURG, Florida—A man was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center after being shot by his neighbor around 7:10 p.m. Thursday night, according to Leesburg Police Department. LPD responded to a report of a shooting in the 2100 block of Mara Court and found Anthony Craig Stevenson, 40, suffering from wounds to his face, neck and chest consistent with bird shot, LPD Lt. Scott Mack said in a press release. During the on-scene investigation, LPD found that Stevenson was shot by his neighbor, Lloyd Donnell Brown, 67, in a dispute over borrowed money, according to Mack. Police located Brown, and he

LEESBURG, Florida—The person Leesburg Police say shot a man multiple times Friday and killed him has been arrested. Sixteen-year-old Mileik Janon Le’Shun Rose was arrested Wednesday by Leesburg Police with the help of Ocala Police Department at a home in Ocala, LPD Lt. Scott Mack said in a press release. Rose is facing charge of first degree murder and other weapons related offenses, Mack said. Tyshaun Oneal Robinson, 28, of Leesburg, was found on Waitman Avenue suffering multiple gunshot wounds around 11 p.m. Friday by LPD after receiving a report of a shooting, Mack said last week. Police performed life-saving

LEESBURG, Florida—Leesburg Police Department has identified the man who was found shot multiple times Friday night. Tyshaun Oneal Robinson, 28, of Leesburg, was found on Waitman Avenue suffering multiple gunshot wounds around 11 p.m. by LPD after receiving a report of a shooting, LPD Lt. Scott Mack said. Police performed life-saving efforts on Robinson, and he was transported by ground to UF Health Leesburg Hospital. He was later transported to Ocala Regional Medical Center, where he died. Dozens of social posts could be found over the weekend by Robinson’s friends and family expressing their sorrow. According to a Facebook post,

LEESBURG, Florida—Leesburg Police Department is investigating a homicide that occurred late Friday night. LPD responded to the 2200 block of Waitman Avenue on reports of a shooting at 11:09 p.m. and found an individual lying in the road who had been shot multiple times, LPD Lt. Scott Mack said in a press release. Police performed life-saving efforts and the victim was transported by ground to UF Health Leesburg Hospital and later transported to Ocala Regional Medical Center, where the victim died. The victim’s identity has not been released.   If you have information, call LPD at 352-787-2121 on Crimeline at

LEESBURG, Florida—A man accused of carjacking a woman Tuesday is in the Lake County Jail on $25,000 bond. Jayson Todd Locke, 44, of Leesburg, is accused of taking a white Chevy Tahoe from a woman Tuesday while she was sitting in it, eating at Winn Dixie, 27405 U.S. Highway 27, according to an arrest affidavit. The woman told Leesburg Police she was in the parking lot near Taco Bell when a man, later identified as Locke, opened the driver’s door and demanded she give the Tahoe to him. Locke was “very agitated,” according to the victim and continued to yell

LEESBURG, Florida—A 17-year-old boy is facing charges after police say he opened fire at a busy park earlier this month. Theodore L. McNealy Jr. was arrested Sunday after he was identified by several witnesses following a shooting at Berry Park less than two weeks ago. According to a probable cause affidavit, a group of black males on foot approached a group of black males in a red Chevy Impala at the entrance to Berry Park, 2121 Johns Avenue, Leesburg shortly before 4 p.m. Jan. 8. The group on foot brandished pistols and began firing at the car, the affidavit states.

LEESBURG, Florida—A second suspect sought in the murder of a Leesburg man last year has been arrested, according to Leesburg Police Department. Jeron Lee Johnson, 32, was arrested Friday by local authorities and U.S. Marshals in Ohio, LPD Lt. Scott Mack said in a press release; Johnson is currently awaiting extradition back to Lake County, Mack said. On Aug. 4, 2021, LPD responded to a report of a shooting victim in the 1000 block of West Line Street, shortly before midnight and found Michael Pettis, 34, dead. Police searched the area for suspects but did not find anyone, LPD Capt.

KEY WEST, Florida— A Leesburg man turned himself in to authorities Thursday for vandalizing the Southernmost Point buoy in Key West on New Year’s Day. Around 3:30 a.m. Saturday, Key West Police and Key West Fire responded to a fire at the buoy, according to a Facebook post by Key West Police Department. They found the remnants of a charred Christmas tree and found the fire “left a burned scar three feet wide and seven feet tall,” causing more than $5,000 in damage. Two suspects, later identified as David Brendan Perkins, 22, of Leesburg and Skyler Rae Jacobson, 21, of

LEESBURG, Florida—A Leesburg High School student accused of opening fire at Berry Park Thanksgiving weekend was arrested Tuesday and is facing 34 felony and two misdemeanor charges, according to an arrest affidavit. On Nov. 28, around 5:45 p.m., Leesburg Police Department responded to Berry Park, 2121 Johns Avenue in reference to a disturbance, battery and shooting. LPD arrived at the park to find more than two dozen people and most refused to speak with officers, according to the affidavit. One woman, who refused to give her name, came forward and said the altercation began over a black female driving a

LEESBURG, Florida—A motorcyclist has died following a crash Monday morning in Leesburg. Tony Sammons, 52, of Wildwood was traveling north on U.S. Highway 27 shortly before 10:45 a.m. Monday when he collided with a 2017 Buick SUV being driven by 79-year-old Nancy Mitchell of Summerfield. Mitchell was southbound on U.S. Highway 27 and attempted to make a left turn onto Citizens Boulevard when Sammons, who was riding a 2004 Harley Davidson motorcycle, struck the passenger side of the SUV as she made her turn, Leesburg Police Capt. Joe Iozzi said in a press release. Sammons sustained serious injuries and was

VOLUSIA, COUNTY, Florida—A head-crash killed a DeLand woman and sent two people to the hospital, including a Leesburg man, shortly after 7:15 a.m. Sunday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The 26-year-old Leesburg man and his 26-year-old passenger of DeLand were southbound in an SUV on North Kepler Road near Periwinkle Avenue when he traveled into the northbound lanes and struck another SUV head-on, killing a 47-year-old DeLand woman; she was wearing her seatbelt. FHP Lt. Kim Montes said in a press release.   The Leesburg man and his passenger were not wearing their seatbelts and were transported to Halifax

LEESBURG, Florida—A former police car probably was not the best choice of transportation for a man accused of trying to saw a catalytic converter off a Ram pickup truck in the parking lot of Lake Square Mall Wednesday. The victim left the mall after doing some shopping shortly after 5 p.m. and heard a cutting sound as she approached her truck, the arrest affidavit states. She walked up to the passenger side and found a man, later identified as Garrett Dalton Heiserman, 23, underneath her truck. She told Heiserman to stop and he crawled from underneath the truck holding a