A Leesburg man who has been designated as a violent felon was arrested after a traffic stop.
A Leesburg police officer was on patrol early on the morning of Jan. 28 when he saw a car driven by 33-year-old Stephen Jay Zimmerman driving eastbound on East Main Street near the intersection with Sunnyside Drive in Leesburg. As the car approached the stop sign the officer could hear metal grinding on the pavement as well as sparks coming from the car’s undercarriage according to the arrest report. The car then made a right turn onto Sunnyside Drive without coming to a complete stop. The officer initiated a traffic stop at Sunnyside Drive and Morrison Road.
Once stopped, Zimmerman started to get out of his car and had to be told to stay in his vehicle. Zimmerman gave the officer his name and birthdate. He was apologetic and kept saying he was going to jail because he did not have a driver’s license and was on probation. The officer called dispatch which confirmed that Zimmerman had four previous driving while license convictions, was classified as a habitual traffic offender and was on felony probation for an aggravated battery with a deadly weapon conviction in 2021. In that case Zimmerman cut a woman with a paring knife while drunk.
Zimmerman was taken to the Lake County Jail where he was charged with felony driving while revoked and violating the terms of his probation. He was booked without bond.
