Carson Zorn
•6/25/2026
New details have emerged in the arrest of a man deputies say broke into a Lee County gas station through the roof, stole money, and tried to escape by swimming in a pond.
According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to the Super America gas station on Alico Road at around 3 a.m. Wednesday, in response to a burglary call.
Deputies said the man cut a hole in the gas station's ceiling to break into the business and then stole money, lottery tickets, and cigarettes. He then climbed on a drink cooler and escaped back through the roof, LCSO said.
An employee told deputies they had seen a man inside the business on surveillance footage. Deputies quickly launched a drone and located the suspect on the roof of the business, hiding behind an air conditioning unit, LCSO said.
The suspect then ignored the deputies' commands and jumped from the roof and ran into a nearby pond, LCSO said. Deputies pulled the man, identified as Leonardo Cruz Pena, 30, out of the pond and found cash, cigarettes, and a blade in his pockets.
Deputies said they also recovered a bag containing additional cash, cigarettes, and lottery tickets from the roof of the gas station.
Cruz Pena was arrested and faces charges of burglary, grand theft, criminal mischief, petit theft, and resisting an officer without violence.
According to LCSO, Cruz Pena has an active ICE detainer.
