Exclusive: Armed robbery suspect turns himself in

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LEE COUNTY, Fla.- Only WINK News cameras were there as 25-year-old Johnny Wade, wanted for a violent home invasion in Lehigh Acres, turned himself in to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

Wade told WINK News he wanted our cameras there as he surrendered to deputies, to prove he’s innocent and not armed and dangerous, as reported by authorities.

Last week, Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers released a picture of a car allegedly tied to a violent home invasion in Lehigh Acres. Soon after, Crime Stoppers said a tip lead them to identify Wade as a suspect who held a victim at gunpoint and threatened to kill her.

WINK News checked into his past and found Wade spent years in state prison for armed robbery in Tampa.

Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers spokesperson Trish Routte says, “the fact that he turned himself in, while that certainly makes life easier for us, it’s unusual when you’ve got someone with this kind of violent streak turn himself in, what his motives were for turning himself in, that’s up for debate right now but the fact of the matter is we have him behind bars and we’re happy about that.”

Late Tuesday night, Wade turned himself in to the sheriff’s office and he tells WINK News he doesn’t know anything about the crime he’s accused of.

Wade also tells only WINK News, he was scared for his life and his family, after being called ‘armed and dangerous.’ He cited recent national cases involved Michael Brown and Eric Garner, and says he “didn’t want to be another statistic.” Wade is now being held in the Lee County Jail facing one count of robbery with a firearm. WINK News was at his first appearance and he’s being held on $200,000 bond.

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