A Leesburg man and woman were detained when a deputy observed their suspicious behavior.
A deputy discovered a suspicious car in the Ironwood Avenue neighborhood of Leesburg around 11:55 a.m. Thursday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. He traveled to the given location to help with the investigation, which was later revealed to involve 43-year-old Stephan Dale Wahl and 68-year-old Debra Kay Wahl.
As the deputy walked by, he observed Stephan standing in the front yard next to a green Ford Explorer. He observed the patrol vehicle and turned to run in the opposite direction. According to the report, the deputy made a U-turn and returned to the apartment after suspecting illegal activity.
He passed over again and saw Debra standing in the yard. She appeared nervous and maintained prolonged eye contact with the patrol vehicle. The deputy then went down the avenue, turning left onto Crossen Street, and positioning his police vehicle partially covered behind surrounding foliage to monitor the scene, according to the report.
The identical green Ford Explorer later approached the junction of Ironwood Avenue and Crossen Street. It did not come to a complete stop at the stop sign before turning, so the deputy drew up behind it to run the information through law enforcement databases. Stephan, the front-seat passenger, attempted to hide himself by stooping down into the passenger-side floorboard area, according to the report.
Seeing this, the deputy began a traffic stop near County Road 473 and US Highway 441. However, the truck continued at its normal speed without stopping. The deputy temporarily activated a siren’s wail tone to grab the driver’s attention, Debra, but the vehicle continued to go. According to the complaint, Debra waved him around as they approached Hurricane Dockside Grill, indicating that he should pass.
Instead, the deputy utilized a public address system to order Debra to pull over, which she refused. Traffic became congested at this point, prompting the deputy to slide the front left quarter of his patrol car in front of the Explorer, preventing it from proceeding any further. According to the report, the deputy instructed the occupants to turn off the engine and expose their hands.
Debra originally did not listen but eventually put the car in park and placed the keys on the dashboard. It took many more commands for her to roll down her window just enough to allow the deputy to reach inside and unlock the door. She was safely evacuated from the vehicle before the deputy approached and demanded Stephan go as well, according to the report.
He claimed to be disabled, saying he couldn’t move his legs. The deputy attempted to assist him as his entire body tightened, and he purposefully pushed himself between the passenger seat and dashboard. The deputy eventually adjusted him so he could be removed from the truck, according to the report.
During the procedure, he noticed Stephan move his legs, proving that his allegation was incorrect. He also continued to passively resist, attempting to wedge himself into the floorboard. Regardless, he was taken from the vehicle, according to the report.
Stephan was arrested on allegations of nonviolent resistance and obstruction of justice. He was brought to Lake County Jail and held without bond after committing fresh felonies while already out on bond. He was detained on October 14 for resisting an officer without violence and again on October 15 on an active warrant for aggravated assault with a weapon.
Debra was detained on counts of fleeing or eluding police, as well as resisting an officer without violence. She was hauled to jail and released after paying a $6,000 bond.
Leave a Reply