Man sentenced to 17 years in prison for shooting during Lehigh Acres street takeover

Writer: Carolina Guzman
Published: Updated:
Armando Cruz Credit: The Lee County Sheriff’s Office

The man who shot two people trying to drive through a Lehigh Acres intersection during a street takeover has been sentenced.

Armando Cruz, who was 17 years old at the time of the crime, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison. The prison sentence will be followed by five years of probation.

According to the state attorney’s office, Cruz pled guilty to two counts of attempted second-degree murder and one count each of shooting at/within or into a vehicle, street takeover, breach of peace and unlawful assembly.

Restitution was ordered and reserved, and $10,000 was paid to the victims at the time of sentencing.

The shooting happened on March 19, 2023, at Milwaukee Boulevard and Homestead Road. It was just after 4 a.m. as a couple drove their truck into the area, hauling a boat, headed out on a trip.

A large gathering of cars and people was blocking the intersection and nearby streets.

As the victims drove forward into the intersection, they were blocked in all directions by vehicles and many people. Several people approached and started to punch and kick the cars as the victims sat in their truck, trapped.

Cruz then ran up to the window of the truck on the passenger side, pulled out a gun, and fired, hitting them both.

The man was shot in the lower face, and his wife was shot in the arm. Cruz then fled the scene.

The victims were able to get to a local hospital, and both survived the shooting.

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