Lee County Murder Suspect Captured After Multi-County Pursuit Ends in Violent Crash

Photo Credit: Hardee County Sheriff’s Office

Staff Reporter | iSkyNews.com (ISC News)

Published November 10th, 2025
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Lee County Murder Suspect Captured After Multi-County Pursuit Ends in Violent Crash

Bartow, FL – A man wanted for Second Degree Murder and First-Degree Burglary with Battery in Lee County was taken into custody Sunday afternoon after a dangerous high-speed chase that crossed three counties and ended with a violent crash in Bartow.

According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, deputies contacted Hardee County Sheriff’s Office just before noon on November 9, requesting assistance in locating a 2024 black Dodge Ram dually pickup truck believed to still be in Hardee County. The suspect, identified as Leosbey Cuesta De Armas, was wanted in connection with a deadly incident that occurred the previous day in Lee County.

Hardee County deputies began searching the southern portion of the county and quickly located the suspect’s vehicle parked along Dallas McClelland Road. When deputies attempted to approach, the truck sped away, triggering a pursuit that raced north through Zolfo Springs, Wauchula, Bowling Green, and Fort Meade along U.S. Highway 17.

Despite multiple attempts to deploy stop sticks, the suspect continued fleeing at high speed. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office was alerted as the pursuit entered their jurisdiction. Polk deputies and air units soon joined the chase.

As the pursuit reached southern Bartow, deputies successfully deployed stop sticks, deflating the front left tire. Moments later, the suspect struck a Polk County patrol vehicle and continued northbound before losing control. The truck veered left near Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Spessard Holland Parkway, crossed the median, and slammed into a utility pole.

Photo Credit: Hardee County Sheriff’s Office

Photos released by the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office show the black pickup truck with heavy front-end damage, its hood crumpled and windshield shattered. The truck came to rest on the curb beneath leaning power lines, with smoke and debris scattered across the roadway. Another photo shows Hardee County and Bartow Police units surrounding the crash site, coordinating with firefighters to secure the area as live electrical wires hung above the wreckage.

Deputies quickly removed Cuesta De Armas from the vehicle due to arcing power lines and turned him over to Polk County deputies. He was transported by EMS to a nearby hospital for treatment. Authorities say no other injuries or vehicle damages occurred during the pursuit.

The Hardee County Sheriff’s Office has since obtained an additional warrant for Fleeing to Elude related to the incident.

Multiple agencies—including the Lee, Hardee, and Polk County Sheriff’s Offices—are continuing to investigate the case, which began as a homicide in Lee County and concluded nearly 100 miles away with a dramatic capture in downtown Bartow.

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