Two violent incidents reported hours apart near UCF last night and early this morning have left several men in area hospitals.
In the first case, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office responded to an armed robbery at the Discount Beer and Tobacco near the intersection of Alafaya Trail and Colonial Drive shortly before 9 p.m.
According to a report released by deputies, a man entered the business armed with a gun, demanded cash from the clerk, and fled in a waiting vehicle.
Shortly after, a deputy noticed a vehicle matching the description of the one used in the robbery traveling westbound on State Road 408. Before the deputy could pull the vehicle over, the car exited the expressway in an attempt to flee, the report states.
As the car attempted to re-enter the expressway, it crashed into a wall. One suspect was arrested at the scene, while the other suspect fled on foot. Police dogs later caught the suspect, deputies say.
The Sheriff’s Department reports both men were taken to the hospital for treatment of non life-threatening injuries, where they are awaiting charges. Deputies have not yet released the names of the men, describing them only as black males aged 22 and 29.
Hours later, just after midnight, deputies responded to a shooting near the intersection of Colonial Drive and Lake Berge Road, about a mile away from the armed robbery call.
According to a report, a 24-year-old black male was shot in the area, which is near the Retreat at Orlando. The man was taken to a hospital, and is expected to survive.
No names have been released in relation to either of these cases. The shooting is still under investigation.
