Road rage results in arrest

A road rage incident early Saturday led to the arrest of a young Miami man for aggravated assault.

The victims called the Sheriff’s Office at 2:30 a.m. to report the occupants of another car had pointed a gun at them. They said they were southbound at the 56 mile marker of the highway when another car came up behind them flashing their lights. The vehicle passed them, then pulled over to the side of the road and got behind them again, flashing their lights some more. The victims pulled over to let the car pass; as the car passed, someone in the vehicle pointed what appeared to be a handgun out of the window. The victims described the car with the gun as an orange colored passenger car.

Deputy William Daniels pulled the suspect vehicle over at the 53 mile marker. He was backed up on the traffic stop by Deputies John Allen and Mario Benedetti. There were four people inside the vehicle; a male driver and male passenger and two 17 year old females in the back seat. A search of the car turned up two BB guns which closely resembled handguns. The driver and front passenger said the guns belonged to them.

The two men – identified as 20 year old Manuel Planas Santos and Adrian Dorta Rodriguez, both of Miami – said the other vehicle had been following them closely with high-beam headlights on. Rodriguez admitted to pointing the gun out the window. He said he did it to warn the other vehicle to turn their high-beams off.

Santos, who was the driver, had a suspended driver’s license. He was charged with driving with a suspended license and with being an accessory to aggravated assault. Rodriguez was charged with aggravated assault and with improper display of a firearm.