Bowling night brawl in Lehigh Acres leaves one man hospitalized

A fight outside Lehigh Lanes escalated into violence Saturday night, leaving one man unconscious in the parking lot and another facing battery charges, according to authorities.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said the altercation involved three men who appeared to know each other. Security footage showed the men talking in a group before punches were thrown.

“That’s not the place for that kind of stuff,” said bowler Larry Stephan.

Witnesses said the fight began inside the bowling alley when the victim struck first, shoving a beer glass into another man’s face. Edgar Tinoco, who was standing nearby, then dragged the victim outside.

Once in the parking lot, Tinoco allegedly threw multiple punches, continuing even after the victim lost consciousness. Blood splatters marked the scene when deputies arrived.

Bowling alley patrons expressed shock over the incident, describing Lehigh Lanes as a typically family-friendly venue.

“There’s always some riff-raff somewhere. So it’s not a bowling alley’s fault, it’s people,” said a shocked bowler.

“We’ve been coming here for… once a week for almost three years, never any problems here,” said Sean Paxton, another bowler.

“If there are children around, you should try to do your best to maintain… and if you can’t stay at home,” said Cody Mattson.

Tinoco was arrested on battery charges. Deputies were able to wake the victim and take him to the hospital.

WINK News has reached out to deputies for an update on the victim’s condition.

On Tuesday, LCSO responded to our inquiry, saying, “The victim is in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries.”