Leesburg Archives - Inside Lake

Suspect in Stolen Vehicle Flees, Rams LCSO Cruiser, Strikes Multiple Stop Sticks, Flees on Foot, Apprehended by K9 Murphy in Leesburg Sunday

Eustis, Inside Scoop, Leesburg, Mount Dora / By Marilyn M. Aciego

LEESBURG, Fla.—A Mount Dora man is facing a slew of charges after ramming a stolen vehicle into a Lake County Sheriff’s Office cruiser, fleeing to Sumter County, striking multiple stop sticks and fleeing back into Lake County where he was finally apprehended Sunday afternoon.

Henry Lee Gamble-Coleman, 26, was spotted around 5 p.m. in Leesburg by LCSO deputies in a vehicle stolen from Eustis, according to an arrest affidavit. Deputies attempted to pull Gamble-Coleman over near the intersection of South 14^th Street and South Street and Gamble-Coleman “rapidly” accelerated and struck the passenger side of a K9 cruiser. He fled westbound on State Road 44 under the watchful eye of Eagle One, LCSO’s helicopter and traveled into Sumter County into a neighborhood on Heritage Boulevard.

Deputies again tried to stop Gamble-Coleman and he fled again, striking stop sticks with both passenger-side tires. He continued to flee and struck stop sticks on the driver’s side and turned back onto State Road 44, where he fled toward Lake County, the affidavit states.

Gamble-Coleman continued to flee at a low speed and deputies, fearing he would wreck, shut down the intersection of State Road 44 and County Road 468 and Gamble-Coleman turned onto Weber Avenue, a dead-end street, according to the affidavit.

He pulled into a parking lot on Weber Avenue, exited the stolen vehicle and fled on foot. A K9 handler released K9 Murphy and Gamble-Coleman was apprehended and taken into custody. He refused to identify himself but was later identified using “law enforcement resources” according to the affidavit.

He was arrested for aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, grand theft auto, fleeing to elude, resisting without violence, driving while license suspended and failure to identify to law enforcement. He was transported to the Lake County Jail where he was booked for at least the 13^th time since 2019. He is being held on $16,000 bond.

*K9 Murphy is seen here with his handler LCSO Deputy Corey Lebrecque, earlier this year when they were honored as K9 of the Year by the Eustis Elks Lodge. PHOTO: Lake County Sheriff’s Office*

Name of Pedestrian Killed in Leesburg Last Week Released

Inside Scoop, Leesburg, Mount Dora / By Marilyn M. Aciego

LEESBURG, Fla.—Leesburg Police Department has released the name of the pedestrian killed in a crash Sept. 8.

Stanley L. Rollins, 59, Mount Dora, was crossing U.S. Highway 441, near Mt. Vernon Road, just after 4:30 p.m. Sept. 8, when he was struck by a silver 2010 Nissan traveling north on U.S. Highway 441 and being driven by Alexander Aguilar, 19, of Leesburg, according to LPD Capt. Joe Iozzi. The investigation into the crash closed several lanes of traffic on U.S. Highway 441.

Rollins was pronounced deceased on the scene; the crash remains under investigation.

Operation Poison Control Results in 21 Arrest Warrants, 50 Charges

Clermont, Eustis, Inside Scoop, Leesburg, Mount Dora, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

TAVARES, Florida—A six-month long undercover drug investigation targeting fentanyl traffickers has wrapped up with the arrests of 15 people and six more are on the run, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

A joint operation between LCSO’s Special Investigations Bureau, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the City County Investigation Bureau— which includes police officers from Clermont, Eustis, Leesburg and Mount Dora—uncovered a variety of illegal narcotics being distributed throughout the county, including trafficking amounts of deadly fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and MDMA.

Law enforcement developed information from the public to aid in the investigation and obtained warrants for 21 individuals on a total of 50 charges that range from trafficking in narcotics to minor possession.

“Operations like this and the many we have done in the past save lives. I’m proud of the dedication and commitment of our undercover agents to keep Lake County safe,” Said Sheriff Peyton Grinnell.

Six people involved in the case have eluded authorities and are still being sought: Scottie Crosby, George Medina, Jason Simpson, Kourtney Smith, Tyson Smith and Derrick Walker.

Few Details Released in Leesburg Crash that Killed Pedestrian Friday, Investigation Ongoing

Inside Scoop, Leesburg, Mount Dora / By Marilyn M. Aciego

LEESBURG, Fla.—Leesburg Police Department has released few details about the crash that killed a pedestrian on U.S. Highway 441 Friday afternoon.

The pedestrian, a 59-year-old male of Mount Dora, was crossing U.S. Highway 441, near Mt. Vernon Road, just after 4:30 p.m. Friday, when he was struck by a silver 2010 Nissan traveling north on U.S. Highway 441 and being driven by Alexander Aguilar, 19, of Leesburg, according to LPD Capt. Joe Iozzi. The investigation into the crash closed several lanes of traffic on U.S. Highway 441.

The pedestrian was pronounced deceased on the scene and his name still has not been released pending notification of next of kin, Iozzi told Inside Lake. The crash remains under investigation.

Leesburg Police Investigating Fatal Crash Involving Pedestrian Friday Afternoon

Inside Scoop, Leesburg / By Marilyn M. Aciego

LEESBURG, Fla.—Leesburg Police Department is investigating a fatal crash involving a pedestrian that occurred late Friday afternoon.

The crash occurred at U.S. Highway 441 and Mt. Vernon Road and closed the inside lanes of U.S. Highway 441; the center and outside lanes are open, according to a social media post by LPD around 5 p.m. Friday. Police are urging motorists to use caution in the area.

This is a developing story.

Motorcyclist Killed After Running Stop Sign in Unincorporated Leesburg

Inside Scoop, Leesburg, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

LEESBURG, Fla.—A Leesburg motorcyclist was killed Monday after he ran a stop sign in unincorporated Leesburg, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The 84-year-old man was riding a 2007 Harley-Davidson motorcycle eastbound on El Presidente Boulevard when he failed to stop at the stop sign at U.S. Highway 27 while attempting to make a left turn around 2:10 p.m., Trooper Migdalisis Garcia said in a press release.

The motorcycle entered the direct path of a 2015 Toyota Corolla traveling southbound on U.S. Highway 27 and being driven by a 31-year-old woman of Stone Mountain, Georgia. The front of the Corolla struck the left side of the motorcycle, fatally injuring the motorcycle rider. He was transported to Orlando Health South Lake Hospital- Blue Cedar, where he was pronounced deceased. The driver of the Corolla was not injured.

Teen Found with Gun at Eustis vs. Leesburg Football Game Thursday Night

Eustis, Inside Scoop, Leesburg, Mount Dora / By Marilyn M. Aciego

EUSTIS, Fla.—An Orlando teen was arrested at Thursday night’s Eustis High School football game after Eustis Police Department school resource officers recognized him from a prior incident and then found him with a gun, according to EPD Chief Craig Capri.

Officers recognized J’son Rashad Cyprian, 18, when he entered the EHS campus for its game against Leesburg High School Thursday and approached him to speak with him about the February incident. Cyprian allegedly lied about his name and date of birth and upon searching Cyprian, officers found a loaded Ruger .380 with a scratched-off serial number, according to an arrest affidavit.

“This is just another example of the great work the men and women of Eustis Police Department do, day in and day out. Our officers are proactive and engaged,” Capri told Inside Lake. “School safety is a priority for us.”

During questioning, Cyprian admitted jumping the fence at EHS in February with an unidentified juvenile and fighting an EHS student in a bathroom. In that incident, Cyprian and the unidentified juvenile jumped the fence near the football field and went into an upstairs men’s bathroom in building 5 and battered the victim when he entered the bathroom. A student, who was not publicly identified, entered the bathroom a few minutes later and also threw some punches, according to the affidavit. After the altercation, Cyprian and the unidentified juvenile ran toward the back of the school, hopped the fence and fled.

Most of the incident, including when Cyprian and the unidentified juvenile jumped the fence and entered the campus, was captured on video.

Police were unable to positively identify the two suspects just after the incident but did locate an Instagram account belonging to one of the suspects, finally identified as Cyprian Thursday night.

Cyprian was arrested on numerous charges, including battery, disruption of a school function, trespassing on school grounds and burglary with battery stemming from the February incident, in addition to possession of a firearm on school grounds, alteration of a firearm serial number and giving false information to a law enforcement officer. He is being held in the Lake County Jail in $114,000 bond.

Inside Lake first reported on Cyprian in April after he was arrested for fleeing Mount Dora Police Department following vehicle burglaries that were captured on a resident’s camera. A gun with an altered serial number was found in the vehicle Cyprian was driving, along with drum magazine with 69 rounds. Cyprian was facing eight charges in that case; he pleaded no contest to fleeing and eluding and the other seven charges, including the gun and ammunition charges, were dropped.

Previous story 4 Teenagers Arrested Sunday After Mount Dora Resident Catches Their Misdeeds on Camera – Inside Lake

Saturday Head-On Collision Kills Leesburg Man

Inside Scoop, Leesburg / By Marilyn M. Aciego

MARION COUNTY, Fla.—A head-on collision killed two people on County Road 464 in Marion Saturday afternoon, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

A 71-year-old Ocklawaha woman was driving an SUV northbound on County Road 464 near Locust Road around 1:55 p.m. Saturday when she crossed over into the southbound lane for reasons still under investigation, FHP said in a press release.

The SUV the woman was driving traveled directly into the path of another SUV being driven by a 79-year-old Leesburg man. The woman was pronounced deceased on the scene and the man was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. Both drivers were wearing their seatbelts.

2 Tampa Men Nabbed for Leesburg Gas Station Robbery Monday

Inside Scoop, Leesburg, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

Update: 7:05 p.m. A previous version of this story stated the suspects’ bond was set at $52,000. At 5:32 p.m. and 5:33 p.m., their bond status was updated to no bond.

LEESBURG, Florida—Two Tampa men found hiding under a blanket behind a washer and dryer in the carport of a Leesburg home have been arrested for robbing a gas station Monday morning of numerous cartons of cigarettes and vapes, according to their arrest affidavits.

Tyreece Freeman Jr., 22 and Jahiem Vonzell Comer, 21, both of Tampa, were found by Leesburg Police Department after a complaint of a suspicious person led them to the pair hiding in the carport.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to an armed robbery around 4 a.m. Monday after a 9-1-1 caller reported Circle K, 10030 County Road 44 in unincorporated Leesburg had just been robbed. As deputies responded, a white Chevrolet Malibu fled past them headed westbound on County Road 44 into Leesburg city limits. Deputies attempted to catch up to the Malibu but were unsuccessful and around 4:30 a.m. Leesburg Police Department found the car abandoned, the affidavit states.

Soon after, LPD received a complaint of a suspicious person about a block away from where the Malibu was found, and Freeman and Comer were taken into custody. The duo offered the homeowner $20 not to call police, a detective noted in the affidavit. Two pairs of shoes were found near them, and one pair was orange, yellow, black and white and matched the description of shoes worn by one of the robbers and an employee of the gas station later positively identified the shoes. Two of the suspects in the robbery are still on the run.

The victim told LCSO four tall, black males wearing masks entered the store at the corner of County Road 44 and County Road 473 and one indicated he had a gun in his jacket pocket, confirmed when the victim saw a magazine base plate and the bottom of a pistol grip in his pocket. The victim complied and the suspects began to fill trash cans from the store with numerous cartons of cigarettes and vapes and then fled. Two empty trash cans were later found at the scene of the robbery and the loot from the robbery was found in the abandoned Malibu, along with masks, according to the affidavit.

Freeman and Comer were both arrested for armed robbery by LCSO and trespassing by LPD. They are each being held in the Lake County Jail on no bond.

Previous stories

2 Suspects Located Following Incident at Unincorporated Leesburg Gas Station – Inside Lake

LCSO Investigating Armed Robbery at Gas Station in Unincorporated Leesburg – Inside Lake

2 Suspects Located Following Incident at Unincorporated Leesburg Gas Station

Inside Scoop, Leesburg, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

LEESBURG, Florida—The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has released more details about an incident that occurred at a 24-hour gas station early Monday.

Three male suspects entered Circle K, 10030 County Road 44, Leesburg and stole multiple items around 4:15 a.m. Monday, according to LCSO Cpl. Chanel Martin.

“The employee did not observe a weapon, but it appeared that one of the suspects acted as if they were armed under their clothing,” Martin said in an email. The suspects fled the scene in a white car, and it was found after they abandoned it, Martin said. No one was injured. Two of the suspects were located and the investigation is still active. Their names have not been released.