Hialeah man arrested in connection to deadly Wesley Chapel shootout

PASCO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A 38-year-old Hialeah man was arrested for his alleged connection to a deadly shootout with a Florida Highway Patrol trooper early Saturday morning.

According to FHP, 38-year-old Yoandy Mora Perez, of Hialeah, was arrested on Feb. 4 for fleeing and eluding, burglary of a convenience, grand theft, obstruction without violence, and felony murder.

His charges stem from an incident early Saturday when an FHP trooper patrolling I-75 spotted two men who appeared to be stealing a pickup truck or items from the truck around 3:15 a.m.

Authorities said the two men tried to flee in their own truck and even fired shots at the pursuing trooper. They were ultimately stopped along Overpass Road when authorities performed a PIT maneuver.

FHP said one man surrendered while another pulled a gun and shot at the trooper, striking him in the torso.

The suspect was killed by gunfire. The trooper survived.

In an update on Monday, the highway patrol said the injured Trooper remains hospitalized for “serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.”

Mora Perez was held at the Pasco County Jail on a $685,500 bail.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.