A 35-year-old Leesburg man with a history of driving with a suspended license was arrested for it again after a brief police chase through an apartment complex.
Shortly after 2 p.m. Thursday, April 14, a Leesburg police officer observed a black Volkswagen traveling north on Moss Street near High Street. The vehicle’s window tint appeared to be darker than the legal limit. The officer started following the vehicle to get a closer look at it in preparation for a traffic stop, according to the police report.
As the officer started following the vehicle, it turned west onto Center Street. A short time later, the vehicle made a quick left turn into the Cypress Oaks apartment complex, located on Sandy Oaks Circle, without using its turn signal. The officer turned on the patrol car lights to initiate a traffic stop but the driver of the Volkswagen did not stop. The vehicle continued on the loop-style road through the complex, the report said.
The officer waited at the entrance/exit for the Volkswagen to emerge from the other side of the loop. The officer finally was able to conduct the traffic stop and made contact with the driver, Lekendre R. Hall, of 1810 Hammock St., who claimed he was visiting a friend and did not see the officer trying to pull him over, according to the report.
A search of Hall’s driving record showed four current suspensions and three prior convictions for driving with a suspended license. After being read his Miranda warning, Hall reiterated that he did not see the lights on the officer’s fully marked patrol vehicle. Asked why he entered the complex and then was seen leaving about two minutes later, Hall said he stopped to see his “side piece.” When asked what apartment she was in, he couldn’t say, the report said.
At first, Hall wouldn’t provide his friend’s name. Then he said her name was “Precious.” He said he texted her when he entered the neighborhood, but when asked to show the text exchange, he changed his story and said he had called her. Hall also said he was unaware of his license status, according to the report.
Meanwhile, a K9 unit conducted a free-air sniff around the vehicle and got a positive alert for narcotics but no illegal substances were found in the vehicle. Officers searched the area in the parking lot where the vehicle stopped briefly in an effort to find any items that might have been abandoned, the report said.
Hall did have in his pocket a small plastic bag containing other baggies similar to the ones used to package narcotics. Hall said he has sold drugs in the past but had no knowledge of what these bags were for and didn’t know they were still in his shorts. There was no evidence the bags were associated with contraband, according to the report.
Hall was issued a written warning for the turn signal violation and was charged with driving with a suspended license (three prior convictions). He was not charged with fleeing/eluding. Hall was taken to the Leesburg Police Department before being turned over to the Lake County Jail. Hall was released Thursday night on $2,000 bond and is due to appear in Lake County Court at 8:30 a.m. May 9.