Fort Myers, FL - Suspicious Man With A Gun Call - Punches
Deputy - Steals Patrol Car - Swerves Towards Deputies - 100 MPH Chase - Patrol
Cars Crash
June 21,
2011
news-press.com
A Lehigh Acres man is facing several charges after the Lee County Sheriff’s Office says he punched a deputy and stole his patrol car Monday night.
Anthony Tovar, 23, is facing charges of aggravated assault on an officer, battery on an officer, fleeing police, marijuana possession, resisting an officer and carjacking without a weapon.
He remains in custody at the Lee County Jail.
Deputies responded to the area of Greenwood Avenue and Prospect Avenue in Fort Myers after a report of a suspicious man with a gun.
A deputy made contact with Tovar and a woman and noticed Tovar had a marijuana cigarette in his hand, according to a sheriff’s office report.
The deputy said he asked for Tovar’s identification, and Tovar responded by punching him in the face and stealing his patrol car.
Two other deputies saw the incident and tried to stop Tovar but had to dive out of the way as Tovar swerved the car towards them.
Deputies took the woman into custody and found a .22 caliber rifle on the ground in the area.
Several deputies saw the stolen vehicle speeding down various streets and headed towards State Road 82 at speeds greater than 100 mph.
As deputies chased the vehicle, one tried to perform a stop maneuver as Tovar slammed on the brakes to turn off the road.
The vehicles crashed, and the stolen patrol car came to a rest off of State Road 82 and Alabama Road.
Tovar then refused to listen to deputies’ orders to get on the ground, so he was Tasered and taken into custody.
Tovar’s mother told investigators he called her and told her he had punched a deputy and stolen a police car.
She said he told her he wanted to die and that he loved her.
He made the call from the deputy’s cell phone.
The woman with Tovar told investigators she and Tovar were talking about their relationship problems and that she knew he had a gun but didn’t know he was going to hit the deputy or steal the car.
Anthony Tovar, 23, is facing charges of aggravated assault on an officer, battery on an officer, fleeing police, marijuana possession, resisting an officer and carjacking without a weapon.
He remains in custody at the Lee County Jail.
Deputies responded to the area of Greenwood Avenue and Prospect Avenue in Fort Myers after a report of a suspicious man with a gun.
A deputy made contact with Tovar and a woman and noticed Tovar had a marijuana cigarette in his hand, according to a sheriff’s office report.
The deputy said he asked for Tovar’s identification, and Tovar responded by punching him in the face and stealing his patrol car.
Two other deputies saw the incident and tried to stop Tovar but had to dive out of the way as Tovar swerved the car towards them.
Deputies took the woman into custody and found a .22 caliber rifle on the ground in the area.
Several deputies saw the stolen vehicle speeding down various streets and headed towards State Road 82 at speeds greater than 100 mph.
As deputies chased the vehicle, one tried to perform a stop maneuver as Tovar slammed on the brakes to turn off the road.
The vehicles crashed, and the stolen patrol car came to a rest off of State Road 82 and Alabama Road.
Tovar then refused to listen to deputies’ orders to get on the ground, so he was Tasered and taken into custody.
Tovar’s mother told investigators he called her and told her he had punched a deputy and stolen a police car.
She said he told her he wanted to die and that he loved her.
He made the call from the deputy’s cell phone.
The woman with Tovar told investigators she and Tovar were talking about their relationship problems and that she knew he had a gun but didn’t know he was going to hit the deputy or steal the car.