Man convicted of popular Lehigh Acres hot dog stand shooting to serve 20 years

Tomas Rodriguez, Fort Myers News-Press
·2 min read
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A Lehigh Acres man will spend two decades behind bars for his involvement in a shooting that targeted a popular Lehigh Acres hot dog stand.

James Gonzalez, 26, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a crime that involved shooting a Lehigh Acres hot dog stand vendor as he attempted to rob him in May.

Gonzalez was seen running from Kelvis Maiguel, 49, who works at Ceberiano's Hot Dogs & More in Lehigh Acres.

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A deputy attempted to apprehend Gonzalez, but Gonzalez ran into nearby woods, officials said.

Deputies aided Maiguel, whose mother reported in a GoFundMe account that he sustained injuries to his liver and colon and will require multiple surgeries.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, Aviation Unit and multiple patrol units assisted in tracking Gonzalez, reports indicate.

A Facebook post from Ceberiano's Hot Dogs & More said Gonzalez was at Maiguel's father's house with a gun, stating that "they were all killers."

Gonzalez was adjudicated guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison on both aggravated battery with a firearm and attempted robbery possessing a firearm.

Each carries a 20-year minimum mandatory sentence and a 15-year minimum mandatory sentence as a prison releasee reoffender.

Gonzalez was also sentenced to 15 years in prison for Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and given credit time served for resisting and obstructing an officer without violence.

He was also adjudicated guilty in a second 2022 case involving drug trafficking, officials said, and wassentenced as follows:

  • Trafficking in 4 grams or more of fentanyl: 20 years in prison and a $50,000 fine

  • Trafficking in amphetamine: 20 years in prison and a $50,000 fine

  • Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon: 15 years in prison

  • Possession of a controlled substance: 5 years in prison

All charges will run concurrently, officials said.

Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Lehigh Acres hot dog vendor's shooter to serve 20 years in prison