The Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office announced that 32-year-old Kevin Eugene Leeks Jr. has been found guilty of Burglary with a Battery and sentenced to life in prison under Florida’s Prison Releasee Reoffender law. On Tuesday, May 14, 2024, a jury convicted Leeks for the brutal attack on a 97-year-old World War II veteran.
The incident occurred in July 2019, when the elderly veteran drove his lawnmower to a convenience store in Okahumpka to buy groceries. Upon returning home, he was confronted at his front door by Leeks, who was armed with a gun. Family members later found the veteran unconscious with head injuries, and his wallet missing. Authorities were contacted, and the victim was transported to the hospital for treatment.
Detectives from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) investigated the crime scene and found a Black & Mild cigarillo tip nearby. They obtained security footage from the convenience store, which showed Leeks purchasing a Black & Mild cigarillo shortly after the victim’s transaction.
This evidence, along with DNA samples collected from the scene and the victim’s clothing, was submitted for testing by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The FDLE was able to conclusively link Leeks to the crime through DNA evidence.
Leeks was subsequently apprehended by the United States Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force at a hotel in Leesburg and charged in this case.
