Lee County Sheriff’s Office investigating stolen, abandoned car near I-75 on-ramp at Alico Rd.

An investigation slowed traffic on the I-75 on-ramp from Alico Road in south Lee County when deputies found a stolen car.

The northbound lanes of I-75 north of Alico Road remain open, and all northbound lanes of the on-ramp at Alico are open just south of Terminal Access Road.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Highway Patrol were at the scene and their attention is focused on a black car pulled onto the outside shoulder.

Sheriff’s deputies say that the car involved is connected to a robbery from earlier in the day on Saturday.

Deputies surrounded the car, guns drawn after finding out it was stolen.

This began at Sheltering Pines Mobile Homes in San Carlos Park. The victim woke up to a man standing over him in his bed with a knife and demanding his car keys.

The suspect then took off in the car. The victim who had his car stolen, and a witness, were able to follow the suspect for some time.  A deputy on patrol attempted to pull the car over but the suspect did not stop.

The search ended on I-75 but the suspect was gone.

The victim has since changed his mind about pressing charges against the suspect.

The suspect took the victim’s car and drove it, then abandoned it in the spot where deputies, the K-9 unit and aviation were all investigating.

The northbound lanes of I-75 north of Alico Road reopened, and all northbound lanes of the on-ramp at Alico reopened Saturday evening just south of Terminal Access Road.

Submit