On February 20, 2025, Lake County deputies responded to 31504 Colby Pl, Sorrento, in reference to a person-shot complaint. Responding deputies located the victim, Justin Kates (DOB 01/27/1988), deceased with a gunshot wound, lying in the roadway. Witnesses reported that the victim and suspect, Justin Joseph Raymond Fout (DOB 06/25/1993), were involved in a verbal altercation prior to the suspect shooting the victim. The suspect was last seen fleeing the scene driving an older model white Dodge Ram van with a female passenger and person of interest, Patricia Neeley. The van should have front and rear end damage, red transfer paint on the rear, a black spray-painted rear right door, and a busted-out rear left door window. Detectives are working closely with outside agencies, following up on investigative leads and seeking the public’s assistance for information related to Fouts’s whereabouts. A Lake County arrest warrant for the crime of Murder in the Second Degree has been issued for Fout.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Justin Fout is asked to contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at 352-343-2101, local law enforcement, or Crimeline.
