A 20-year-old has been charged with trying to run down a Lake County sheriff’s deputy near Water Oak on U.S. Hwy. 27/441 in Lady Lake.
Jeffrey Elijah Gilbert of Orlando was booked Thursday at the Lake County Jail on a charge of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer with a motor vehicle in addition to other charges. He was being held without bond.
Gilbert was at the wheel of a white Dodge Charger on Monday on U.S. Hwy. 27/441 near the 55+ community in Lady Lake when the vehicle was pulled over by the deputy who was investigating a shoplifting incident which had occurred at Walmart in Leesburg.
During the traffic stop, the deputy was near the passenger side of the vehicle, when the driver attempted to pull away. The deputy was in “well-founded fear of being struck by the vehicle, leading him to discharge his firearm into the vehicle in a effort to prevent the continuance of a forcible felony upon him,” according to an affidavit of probable cause from the sheriff’s office.
The trio, which also included 20-year-old Calvin Anthony Williams and 20-year-old Pierre Dhaiti, got away in the vehicle, but later abandoned it at the Country Life Mobile Home Park in Leesburg. They fled on foot to the Dunkin’ Donuts at 27820 U.S. Hwy. 27 in Leesburg. Dunkin’ Donuts employees said the men had been “loitering” near the bathroom. All three were found in the bathroom where they were taken into custody. Also found in the bathroom, were a glass jar and zip lock bags containing marijuana. Scales were also discovered, suggesting the men had been selling drugs.
Dhaiti was being held at the jail on $9,000 bond on charges of drug selling, fraud and theft. Williams was being held without bond on multiple charges of theft and fraud as well as an Orange County warrant charging him with violating his probation on charges of robbery and fraud.
