Police: Man who walked out of his own trial found at Mount Dora hotel

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — Police said a man who walked out of his own trial in March was found in a vehicle in a parking lot of Mount Dora’s Lakeside Inn on Wednesday.

The search for Zachery Waldo, 36, started on March 14 after officials said he left court for a lunch break, but never returned. At the time, he was out on bond on for his role in a 2019 crash that killed three people on Christmas Eve.

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Waldo’s absence didn’t stop the jury from finding him guilty on all the charges he faced, including three counts of DUI manslaughter.

Multiple law enforcement agencies joined the Lake County Sheriff’s Office in the search for Waldo in the weeks since the trial.

Read: Reward increased to $10K for tips in search for convict who left during trial

In an effort to get the public to help track him down, the sheriff’s office announced that the reward for information leading to Waldo’s capture was increased to $10,000.

Lake County deputies are expected to release more details on his capture Wednesday afternoon.

Read: Lake County police search for man who walked off during traffic homicide trial

Stay tuned to Channel 9 Eyewitness News for updates.

VIDEO: Leesburg man missing after he walks out of own trial, judge sentences him anyway Leesburg man missing after he walks out of own trial, judge sentences him anyway

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