Lee County man arrested after high-speed police chase in stolen vehicle

On Thursday morning, Hendry County deputies found themselves in a high-speed chase leading them into Lee County.

Deputies received a notification of a stolen vehicle traveling eastbound on State Road 80 in the area of Captain Hendry Drive.

Deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle. However, the driver of the stolen Toyota van refused to stop, turning around and heading back into Lee County.

The driver of the vehicle, later identified as 31-year-old Francisco Nicolas Lopez of Fort Myers, fled from police at over 100 mph. 

At one point, Lopez did a U-turn and directly sped toward one of the deputies’ vehicles and purposely crashed into the rear of a patrol car. The deputy was uninjured, and the vehicle was not disabled. 

The chase ended in the area of Edwards Drive in Lehigh Acres. Lopez stopped the vehicle and then exited it leaving it in drive. He then led deputies on a foot chase, where he was later apprehended while hiding in a thick brush.

While searching the vehicle, deputies found both cocaine and methamphetamine. 

Lopez was arrested and transported to the Lee County Jail on charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding at high speed with wanton disregard for the safety of persons and property, trafficking in cocaine, grand theft of motor vehicle, and operating a motor vehicle with license suspended.

Lopez is currently awaiting transfer back to Hendry County until such time. He is being held in the Lee County Jail.