Man who stood through sunroof on I-4 faces domestic violence charges
LAKELAND, Fla. (FOX 13) - A man who was the subject of a bizarre and dangerous video depicting him standing through his sunroof driving down I-4 is now facing multiple charges stemming from domestic violence incidents involving his wife.
Leonard Olsen, 70, has been behind bars since the release of a video recorded by an off-duty Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputy. It showed Olsen with his arms spread wide driving down I-4 Tuesday using cruise control and reaching speeds of up to 100 miles per hour.
The Florida Highway Patrol later pulled him over and arrested him for reckless driving.
According to FHP's report, Olsen said he wanted to turn himself in, telling the trooper, "My wife treats me like a servant and she's the mistress and I'm tired of his [explitive]."
The report continued, "Mr. Olsen also stated, 'lock me up, I'd rather go to jail [than] go back home.'"
But additional charges from the Polk County Sheriff's Office tell a different story.
A short time later, the sheriff's office tacked on charges of false imprisonment, violent battery by strangulation and two counts of violent aggravated battery on a person older than 65. The sheriff's office said all the charges stem from incidents involving his wife.
The probable cause statement lists two incidents over the course of about a week.
On April 30, Olsen was upset with his wife for taking too long to come to bed. Once she did, the statement said he "reached over and began choking the victim."
Days later on May 5, after the victim came home from dinner, Olsen "began calling the victim vulgar names and accusing her of having an affair," according to the sheriff's office. That same day, the statement says he destroyed her clothes and forced her to remove her underwear.
His wife called authorities the next morning after Olsen left the home.
FOX 13 News knocked on Olsen's door Saturday, but no one answered.
Neighbors didn't want to go on camera, but said they've had multiple issues with Olsen, including one back in 2017, when they said Olsen fired off his gun multiple times in his backyard. SWAT responded to the incident.
He was later charged with discharging a firearm in public.
“We aren’t sure what was going on with Olsen the last few days but it’s never OK to put your hands on someone else, or endanger others while driving," Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement released Saturday. "We hope he’s learned a few lessons and gets the help he needs to avoid future jail time.”
As of Saturday night, Olsen remains in the Polk County Jail on $21,000 bond.