LAKELAND, Fla. – A 42-year-old man, who authorities say is in the United States illegally and has been deported multiple times, was arrested in Lakeland on Sunday after allegedly battering a co-worker during a heated argument.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), the incident took place around 9:15 a.m. on Sunday, on Old South Road. The suspect, identified as Leovardo Menardo Panzo, a 42-year-old man from Mexico, reportedly began making disrespectful comments about a co-worker’s wife and family.
Deputies say the verbal altercation quickly escalated into a physical confrontation when Panzo struck the other man in the face.
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Deputies were called to the scene, and during the investigation, they discovered that Panzo was residing in the United States illegally. Furthermore, PCSO records indicate that Panzo has been deported from the U.S. on several prior occasions.
Panzo was arrested and transported to the Sheriff’s Processing Center.
He was initially charged with simple battery. However, due to his illegal status and prior deportations, the level of his crime was enhanced from a first-degree misdemeanor (M1) to a third-degree felony (F3), a process permitted under state law in certain circumstances involving undocumented immigrants.
PCSO also confirmed that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hold has been placed on Panzo.
READ: Polk County Sheriff Says Re-Arrested Winter Haven Man Is A “Jerk With A Capital J”
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