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Highlands Today

Brother Charged With Attempted Murder In Drive-By Shooting

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By JOE SEELIG

Highlands Today

Published: August 21, 2008

  Altus Lee

AVON PARK - Police arrested an Avon Park man and charged him as a suspect in the attempted murder of his brother.

The drive-by style shooting incident took place shortly after 10:15 a.m. Wednesday on Tulane Avenue near East Metcalf Street.

Altus Jermaine Lee, 23, of last known address: 2430 N. Dunwoodie St., Avon Park, was charged with attempted first-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and use of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

At 12:26 a.m. today, detectives arrested Lee during a traffic stop after he was seen leaving an apartment at the Ridgedale Apartments and getting into a vehicle, police reported.

Police identified the victim in the incident as Altus Jermar Lee, 19, who is the suspect's brother.

When Avon Park Police Chief Matt Doughney was asked about a possible motive he hedged a little.

"It's brother against brother, so I'm sure they have some issues against each other," Doughney said.

There was a delay in reporting the incident, said Doughney in an previous report. Someone called in and reported the incident at about 11 a.m., according to police.

The victim was driving east on East Metcalf Street when he stopped at East Metcalf and Tulane Avenue and was preparing to turn north on Tulane when he heard what sounded like a cap gun being fired, the arrest report stated.

He looked around and reported seeing a black sport utility vehicle pull up beside him.

The victim told police he saw the driver, his brother Altus Jermaine Lee, who fired three shots at him, using a silver-colored handgun through the passenger-side window, the report stated.

He told police he not only heard the shots but felt them hitting his vehicle. The victim said he sped away, and while looking back could see his brother's vehicle turn on a side road and drive away, the report stated.

He told police he was fearful and confused about why his brother would want to try to kill him, the report stated.

The victim's car was located in the parking lot of the Highlands County Homeless Coalition.

A preliminary investigation has revealed that at least three shots were fired from an unidentified vehicle on Tulane Avenue, said Doughney in a previous report.

"Three projectiles impacted the driver's side of a blue 1990 Oldsmobile which was occupied at the time of the incident," he said.

One shot struck the driver's side door just at a piece of metallic molding at the base of the window.

"Another quarter-inch to half-inch higher and he would have been shot in the neck or the head and we'd have been looking at a homicide instead of an attempted homicide," Doughney said.

God must have been looking over the victim that day, Doughney added.

Avon Park police were still searching for the weapon today.

"We haven't recovered the gun yet," Doughney said, "but we're working on it."

Joe Seelig can be reached at (863) 386-5834 or jseelig@highlandstoday.com .

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