Florida Man Zachery Waldo, 36, was on trial for DUI manslaughter that killed three people in Leesburg. When the court went on lunch break, Waldo, still out on bond, left the courthouse, cut off his ankle monitor, and never returned.
Crimeline offered a $10,000 reward for information on Wald’s location, and apparently, it worked as the Sheriff’s Department got an anonymous tip.
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Waldo’s girlfriend, Melinesia Shauntel Jones, is in jail and charged with aiding in Waldo’s getaway by giving false information to investigators.
In March, Waldo was on trial accused of DUI manslaughter in a 2019 fatal crash in his pickup and another car in Leesburg that killed three people, including a teen. The Christmas Eve crash killed Christopher Smith, Jessica Smith, and their 13-year-old daughter, Hailey. The couple’s son Hunter survived the crash but suffered injuries requiring him to use a wheelchair for a year.
The Smith family was about to enter the Venetian Gardens subdivision in their Toyota Corolla to view Christmas lights when Waldo slammed into their vehicle at approximately 96 mph in his pickup truck. The speed limit on that section of the road is 35 mph.
Waldo was taken to a local hospital for injuries suffered from the crash.
Zachery Waldo, the man who left his DUI manslaughter trial for lunch and didn’t return, was captured on Wednesday by a U.S. Marshal’s task force, according to the Leesburg Police Department. https://t.co/VsdT612OHj
— News 6 WKMG (@news6wkmg) May 3, 2023
Great job by LCSO Deputy Burns and the US Marshal's Task Force in the capture of Zachery Waldo this morning. We can only hope this provides some level of closure and justice for the family and friends of the Smith family. pic.twitter.com/dzS8yuuG6X
— Leesburg Police (@LeesburgPolice1) May 3, 2023
According to police, Waldo has fled from law enforcement in the past and has a history of committing battery against law enforcement.
Despite being on the run at the time, the trial went on without Waldo, and officials announced last week that Waldo received essentially a life term in the DUI manslaughter case.
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He was sentenced to 35 years, ten months, and 15 days in prison for the crash.
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