LADY LAKE, FL (352today.com) – A 15-year-old boy has been arrested and taken into custody after police say he fired a handgun toward the parking lot of a restaurant.
What happened
Officers with the Lady Lake Police Department (LLPD) were called to a fight in progress at Fresh Jalapeno Mexican Restaurant on Saturday, September 14, around 11 p.m.
Officers say while en route, they were advised that shots had been fired in the parking lot.
Officers say as they arrived, a silver SUV sped out of the parking lot. Officers suspected the driver, later identified as a 15-year-old male, was the one who fired the handgun.
LLPD officers pursued the SUV as it headed south on U.S. Highway 27/441. It was at this point that nearby officers with the Fruitland Park Police Department assisted in the pursuit by deploying a tire deflation device.
Officers say the device successfully struck the tires of the SUV, bringing the pursuit to an end. Officers then moved in and cuffed the 15-year-old in the driver’s seat.
Aftermath
Officers with LLPD went back to the restaurant to investigate. They say they found several shell casings in the parking lot and the firearm along the roadside near the area where the pursuit started.
LLPD reported no injuries or property damage from the shooting or the pursuit.
When talking to witnesses, LLPD learned that the fight broke out after an argument occurred between two groups inside the restaurant. Witnesses say the fight then moved out to the parking lot where the 15-year-old fired at least four rounds in the air.
Charges
LLPD took the juvenile to Lake County Jail where he is being held until his court appearance.
He is currently charged with:
- Discharge of a Firearm in Public (four counts)
- Aggravated Battery (LLPD says he struck someone while exiting the parking lot)
- Fleeing and Eluding a Law Enforcement Officer (two counts)
- Operating a motor vehicle without a license (one count)