Garlens Rogers, 24, of Naples, has been convicted of Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon following a trial in Lee County. The jury also made a special finding of guilt for
Possession, Discharge, and Great Bodily Harm.
The crime happened on March 12, 2022, at a convenience store. The victim stopped at the store with two co-workers to get something to drink. Both of his co-workers then walked to a nearby fast-food restaurant to get breakfast, while the victim waited in the truck.
As the co-workers walked back to the truck, they saw a man loudly arguing with a woman in a car. A witness said one co-worker calmly told the man to leave the woman alone. The victim then stepped out of the work truck when he saw something was going on.
The man who had been arguing with the woman then displayed a gun and chased the three back into the truck. As they drove away, the defendant fired one shot, hitting the victim.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office was called to the scene and their investigation led to the shooter being identified as the defendant, Garlens Rogers, a clerk at the convenience store where the crime happened. A search warrant was executed on the vehicle he had been driving and a firearm was found in plain view in his car, on the driver’s side floorboard.
Assistant State Attorney Olivia Ferrell and Assistant State Attorney Jonathan Levy prosecuted the case. Sentencing is scheduled for June 13, 2023.
Samantha Syoen – Communications Director, State Attorney’s Office