Deputies arrest 18-year-old after chase and crash in Lehigh Acres

LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. —

Deputies arrested 18-year-old Jean Carlos Zamora early Sunday morning in Lehigh Acres after a high-speed chase that ended with a crash and a pit maneuver.

Tire marks remain fresh at the intersection of 7th Street Southwest and Gretchen Avenue, where deputies stopped Zamora’s vehicle. They said he was reportedly drunk, armed, and refused to stop, leading them on a pursuit.

"Where is everybody else? Nobody was in the car. Why didn’t you stop? Because I knew you were going to pull me over," Zamora said, according to body camera footage.

Nearly 10 days after turning 18, Zamora was taken to jail.

"Days after your 18th birthday, here you are facing a lot of felony charges and misdemeanor charges. It's just very sad. Very sad to me, and again, choices and decisions. And this was a bad one," Sheriff Carmine Marceno of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said.

According to the sheriff’s office, a deputy spotted Zamora reportedly speeding on Gunnery Road and 8th Street Southwest in Lehigh Acres, driving over a median and heading into oncoming traffic. When the deputy attempted to pull him over, Zamora refused to stop.

"So there were two pit maneuvers. The first pit maneuver was unsuccessful. We attempted to pit the suspect vehicle. He was able to regain control of the vehicle and keep going. The pursuit continued," Marceno said.

Zamora then reportedly drove back toward Gunnery Road, crossed the median again, and hit another car. He is accused of fleeing the scene, but deputies successfully performed a second pit maneuver at 7th Street Southwest and Gretchen Avenue, where they arrested him.

"He has no criminal history, but he just turned 18 a few days before, so he's going to be charged as an adult. The charges will conclude to aggravated fleeing and eluding, DUI, obstruction without violence, unlawful carry of a firearm, and DUI with a person that's under 18 in the vehicle. Again, a slew of charges," Marceno said.

The sheriff’s office demonstrated a new tool called the grappler, which unfolds from the front of a cruiser, goes under a car, and stops it without requiring a pit maneuver.

Marceno said each grappler costs $10,000, but did not specify how many the office plans to purchase.

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