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Bond lowered for man accused of fatally shooting Walmart diaper thief

Judge says Lonnie Leonard, 51, not considered 'a flight risk'

Lonnie Leonard

ORLANDO, Fla. – A judge has reduced bond for a man accused of fatally shooting a suspected diaper thief at an Orlando Walmart on Feb. 4.

In a hearing Friday, bond for Lonnie Leonard, 51, was dropped from $100,500 to $26,500.

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In April, charges were filed against Leonard for shooting Arthur Adams, 19, as he was stealing a shopping cart full of diapers and other baby items from the Walmart on Clarcona Ocoee Road, officials said.

Leonard was charged with manslaughter, aggravated battery and carrying a concealed firearm.

Deputies initially said Leonard felt threatened because he thought Adams was armed.

Further investigation revealed Adams was unarmed and running away when he was shot, according to deputies.

In court Friday, Leonard told a judge he had never been in trouble before and has lived in Central Florida all his life.

After stating that he didn't believe Leonard was a flight risk, the judge reduced bond with stipulations that Leonard live at his sister's home and stay in contact with his attorney at least once a week.

He was also ordered to appear for all future court proceedings.

A status hearing for Leonard is scheduled for Aug. 25.


About the Author
Mark Lehman headshot

Mark Lehman became a News 6 reporter in July 2014, but he's been a Central Florida journalist and part of the News 6 team for much longer. While most people are fast asleep in their bed, Mark starts his day overnight by searching for news on the streets of Central Florida.

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