Manhunt underway for teen who shot at LCSO deputy in Lehigh Acres

An all-out manhunt is underway for 17-year-old Eusebio Montoya. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office says he opened fire at deputies and hit a 16-year-old boy in the process.

As of Saturday, the sheriff’s office is still searching for Montoya. He is the suspected gunman in a deputy-involved shooting that injured a 16-year-old.

WINK News Safety and Security Specialist Rich Kolko told us about the search and what happens next. “Lee County Sheriff’s Office is going to set up a robust search to find this young man. Now the command post, they’re going to use their deputies will use helicopters, drones, every tool they have available,” said Kolko.

Another thing deputies may be utilizing, Kolko said, is tips. “A big thing that’s going to matter… starting to get those calls into Crime Stoppers. And that’s probably what they’re doing now is tracking down a lot of tips. A lot of we’re going to be tips that really don’t pay off. But the deputies are going to track every single one of those down,” Kolko said.

Now, more than 24 hours have passed since the search for Montoya began. So, the perimeter to track him down grows each hour.

“Once a shooting occurred, they set up a perimeter to try and track this person down. If they know he is on foot, they know how wide to expand that perimeter every hour that goes on and has to get expanded farther and farther. Now that it’s been a day, it’s a much wider distance. They may be concerned that he actually left the area,” said Kolko.

Montoya was likely not prepared to be on the lam, Kolko believes. “In all likelihood, this person was not prepared to be on the run. So he is going to get quiet or is going to coordinate a release through his attorney through his family. But the opportunity for a seventeen-year-old to stay on the run for a long period of time. Not really likely,” Kolko said.

Again, Montoya is still on the run, so if you have any information on his whereabouts, you are being asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477).

SHOOTER STILL ON THE RUN AS MANHUNT PURSUES
LCSO continues manhunt for gunman after Eusebio Montoya shot a teenager, as well as shooting at a LCSO deputy in Lehigh yesterday. Do the right thing & please come forward! You will remain anonymous calling Crime Stoppers 1-800-780-TIPS pic.twitter.com/R7K8C28qbO

— SWFL Crime Stoppers (@SWFLCrime8477) March 26, 2022