A 52-year-old Daytona Beach man, John Lyles, is facing multiple charges after breaking into a Palm Coast home, confronting his former partner, and shooting a man during a struggle over a handgun, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Incident Details
Deputies responded to the home in the F-Section of Palm Coast shortly after 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 7 following a 911 call from a woman reporting an active intruder. The caller reported that a man inside the home had been shot in the hand. The woman identified the intruder as Lyles, a former partner who had moved out of the residence just days earlier.
Lyles fled the scene in a white Mercedes SUV before law enforcement arrived. Detectives later determined Lyles was subject to a court-issued no-contact order stemming from a previous domestic battery arrest in Volusia County. As a convicted felon, Lyles was legally prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
A deputy spotted the getaway vehicle traveling southbound on Interstate 95 and conducted a traffic stop. The driver, who was the sole occupant, told officers Lyles had asked for a ride to the home earlier that morning. According to the driver, Lyles went inside, a verbal disturbance and gunshot followed, and Lyles ran back to the car.
Deputies located Lyles walking along Belle Terre Parkway near Barrister Lane shortly after. During a search, officers found a bag of cocaine in his pocket and took him into custody.
Response from Authorities
“This individual had already been ordered by a judge to have no contact with the victim and as a convicted felon he couldn’t legally possess a firearm,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in a statement. “Neither of those stopped him from breaking down the door, entering the house, and shooting someone before running off.”
Court records show Lyles’ prior criminal convictions include sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school, possession of heroin, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, and resisting an officer with violence.
Authorities noted that resources are available for individuals facing domestic violence situations. Victims can reach the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line at 386-313-4911 or contact the Family Life Center at 386-437-3505.
Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.
