James Curtis
•9/2/2026
A Riverview man was adjudicated guilty on Wednesday and sentenced to 40 years in prison for a shooting on Thanksgiving in Lehigh Acres. According to the State Attorney's Office, Rocco Nicholas Ruzzo was sentenced as follows: Count one: Aggravated battery with a deadly weapon – Sentenced to 20 years in prison with a 20-year minimum/mandatory Count two: Aggravated battery with a deadly weapon – Sentenced to 20 years in prison with a 20-year minimum/mandatory to run consecutively to count one Count three: Shooting at/into an occupied vehicle - Sentenced to 5 years in prison to run concurrent with counts one and two Ruzzo was convicted after a trial in May. On Nov. 28, 2024, Ruzzo was outside a home when he pulled out a gun and shot at a vehicle 10 times. Ruzzo claimed he thought the car was associated with another vehicle he had previously encountered earlier that day. The SAO said the driver was hit by bullets multiple times but survived, and the passenger was grazed by a bullet and also survived. The Lee County Sheriff's Office investigated the case. 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.
