Man accused of hitting, choking, slamming victim onto the ground at Lehigh Acres vape shop

A man was arrested by deputies with the Lee County Sheriff's Office after he was accused of assault at a vape store in Lehigh Acres. LCSO says that on Sunday deputies responded to the reported assault at around 3 p.m. on Sunday. According to deputies, the suspect, Michael Velazco, 39, was involved in a verbal altercation with a store employee. The victim intervened and asked Velazco to come outside and talk. When the two walked toward the exit, deputies say that Velazco punched the victim in the face, grabbed him by the neck and slammed him to the ground before putting him in a chokehold. Surveillance video captured the incident. LCSO says that Velazco was still inside the store when deputies arrived. He was arrested and faces a felony battery charge. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV