I-4 was shut down to arrest suspect in gun show heist, deputies say

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Deputies shut down Interstate 4 on the busiest travel day of the year to arrest an 18-year-old suspect who allegedly broke into the Central Florida Fairgrounds in 2015, stealing weapons from the Florida Gun Show.

The arrest shut down I-4 in both directions around 6:40 a.m. Tuesday at Lee Road (Exit 88). The road reopened around 7:30 a.m.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office said they learned of Isaiah Montgomery's whereabouts in the past 24 to 48 hours thanks to social media. Deputies said Montgomery was one of the suspects involved in a 2015 gun show theft, in which several shirtless young men stole weapons from the Central Florida Fairgrounds.

Archive: Surveillance shows teens stealing weapons from Orlando gun show

WATCH BELOW: Raw surveillance video from the WFTV.com archive: Teens in gun show robbery

Deputies said investigators saw an opportunity to apprehend Montgomery Tuesday morning on I-4, and wanted to act fast because recent social media posts shows him and other people bearing firearms.

In all, 15 people were detained Tuesday morning. Montgomery was the only one charged. Drugs and a firearm were recovered during the stop.

According to AAA, July 3 is the busiest travel day of the year on the roads. To make matters worse for I-4 drivers, Orlando is the most popular Independence Day destination, AAA said.

All lanes are back open, but traffic anchor Racquel Asa told drivers to avoid Interstate 4 if possible and instead use local roads like SR-17-92, 434 or Edgewater Drive.

Cox Media Group