Suspect killed in dump truck chase named; deputy who fired shots placed on leave

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Investigators are working to uncover all details in a deadly chase that began in Hendry County and ended in Collier County.

Collier County Sheriff’s Office confirmed suspect Rudolfo Villanueva, 36, was killed Wednesday following the chase of a stolen dump truck that ended with a deputy-involved shooting and a crash in Immokalee.

During the chase, Villanueva was accused of leading deputies through the Farm Worker Village neighborhood, hitting two vehicles, which led a Collier County deputy to fire gunshots.

The dump truck subsequently went off-road and crashed into a canal, and Villanueva was pronounced dead. His cause of death remained unconfirmed after we reached out to law enforcement Thursday.

Hendry County Sheriff’s Office says the truck was stolen near a Burger King in LaBelle at around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday before driving south on State Road 29 into Immokalee. HCSO called for the assistance of CCSO when the chase began to enter Collier County. The chase covered 26 miles in total.

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