Man wanted in deadly Lake County shooting found, in custody; person of interest still missing, officials say | FOX 35 Orlando
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Man wanted in deadly Lake County shooting found, in custody; person of interest still missing, officials say

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Updated  February 21, 2025 10:07pm EST
Lake County
FOX 35 Orlando

The Brief

    • A man wanted in connection to the shooting death of another man in Lake County has been located and taken into custody, officials said.
    • Authorities are looking for a woman, who has been described as a possible person of interest or witness.

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida man wanted in connection to the alleged shooting and killing of another man in Lake County has been found and taken into custody, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office. Deputies are still looking for a woman who allegedly drove away from the shooting with him. She is described as a person of interest in the investigation.

Officials: Suspect fled in damaged van after shooting

The backstory:

The Lake County Sheriff's office responded on Feb. 20 to a home on Colby Place in Sorrento, Florida after reports of someone being shot. Deputies went to the home and found Justin Kates lying in the roadway. He was declared dead and found to have been shot, officials said.

Officials said Kates and another man, Justin Fout, the alleged gunman, were in an argument prior to the shooting, according to preliminary data.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office said Fout and a woman, identified as Patricia Neeley, who is described as a person of interest/witness, drove away from the area in a damaged van.

As of Friday night, Fout had been located and taken into custody. Neeley remained on the run.

Patricia Neeley is a person of interest in the Florida murder investigation. (Credit: Lake County Sheriff's Office)

What we know about the van

What we know:

Officials said the van had both front and back damage. It should also have red paint on the rear from hitting another vehicle. The right back door is spray-painted black and the left back door has a broken window.

It was last known to have a Florida license plate, CX8651.

Deputies are searching for the van that Justin Fout and Patricia Neeley are on the run in. (Credit: Lake County Sheriff's Office)

What you can do:

Anyone with information on Neeley is asked to contact the Lake County Sheriff's Office at (352) 343-2101l or Crimeline to remain anonymous.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:

The Source: The Lake County Sheriff's Office put out information about the search on the agency's official Facebook page, including descriptions and photos of the alleged suspect and person of interest, and of the van.

Lake CountyCrime and Public Safety