A months-long manhunt has ended with the arrest of a Leesburg murder suspect by U.S. Marshals in Ohio.
Jeron Lee Johnson, 31, had been sought in connection with the Aug. 4 murder of 34-year-old Michael Pettis Jr., who was pronounced dead by paramedics after his body was found lying in a yard in the 1000 block of West Line Street. Police had been called to the area about 15 minutes earlier in response to a complaint about gunfire being heard, but they found nothing at the time. Officers returned soon after when someone reported discovering the body.
Johnson is currently in custody in Ohio and awaiting extradition back to Florida.
Sonja Isadieu-Johnson, 36, of Leesburg had been arrested in November on a warrant in Virginia Beach, Va., also in connection with Pettis’ murder.
Jeron Johnson had been arrested by Lake County sheriff’s deputies in 2018 on a charge of firing a weapon in public. In 2016, he was arrested on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and battery.
