A Leesburg man dented a deputy’s vehicle with his head after being arrested for cocaine sniffed out by a K-9 at Circle K.
A deputy observed a black Nissan passenger car with an expired registration as of Sept. 28, 2023, in the area of County Roads 44 and 473 around 10:46 p.m. Thursday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
As a result, the deputy stopped the vehicle at Circle K, located at 10030 CR 44, Leesburg. Upon making contact with the driver and the passenger, later identified as 33-year-old Christopher Michele Decotis, the deputy explained the reason for the stop. He asked both occupants if they had any weapons or illegal narcotics inside the vehicle, to which they said no, the report said.
The deputy then asked if he could search the vehicle, and they both said no again. A K-9 unit was requested, and in the meantime, he wrote a warning for the expired registration, the report said.
The K-9 unit deputy later arrived on scene, introduced himself to the driver and had his K-9 sniff around the outside of the vehicle. It immediately alerted to the passenger side of the vehicle where Decotis sat, the report said.
A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed an empty pack of 305’s Menthol Cigarettes containing two lighters and a clear baggy with white powdery substance underneath the passenger seat. The substance tested positive for cocaine. Both occupants denied it being theirs, but due to it being underneath Decotis’ seat, he was placed under arrest, the report said.
The report noted that throughout the traffic stop, Decotis was eager to leave. He advised that he needed to go to the restroom and pay for gas.
Once Decotis was handcuffed, the deputy moved him to the rear passenger side of the patrol vehicle to search his person. He repeatedly hit his head on the side of the vehicle during this process, causing a large dent worth about $200 in damage. He was then relocated to the backseat where he began to kick and bang his head, the report said.
Decotis was able to maneuver his hands in front of him, and deputies took him out of the patrol vehicle to place his hand restraints behind him. One of the deputies tried to put leg restraints on Decotis, to which he pulled away and caused a brief struggle to control him. The deputies were finally able to get him back in the patrol vehicle without leg restraints, and he continued to bang his head and kick, the report said.
While enroute to Lake County Jail, Decotis was able to get his hands in front of himself again. Jail staff were notified prior to his arrival, and he began being combative with jail staff. This led to him being restrained in a chair, the report said.
The report noted Decotis had several drug charges, including his most recent as of Dec. 10, 2024, for possession of cocaine. His most recent charge for criminal mischief was on Feb. 2, 2022, wherein he was found guilty. His previous resisting without violence charges for the past three years were from June 9, 2022, and Jan. 19, 2023.
Decotis was ultimately charged with possession of cocaine, criminal mischief (greater than $200 less than $1,000) and resisting without violence. Bond was set at $4,500.
He has been arrested several times before, including in May 2022 for fighting with deputies as they took him in for stealing from his employer. He was also arrested in Feb. 2023 for drugs found tucked in a cigarette pack and in Dec. 2024 when a K-9 sniffed out drugs in his Volvo.