The Brief
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- Deputies arrested two suspects after a witness said they pulled a 65-year-old driver from his car in an alleged road-rage dispute.
- A video provided to deputies showed both suspects striking the victim, investigators said.
- The pair face charges of battery on a person 65 or older and were booked without incident.
Two people were arrested after an alleged road-rage confrontation escalated into a physical attack on a man over the age of 65, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said they stopped a Toyota Sienna on Wekiwa Springs Road and took people into custody.
The backstory:
On Monday, around 11 a.m., deputies responded to the area of 555 North Wekiwa Springs Road after receiving reports of a fight. Two suspects — identified as DRM and KPB — were taken into custody.
According to an arrest report, an off-duty deputy flagged down responding deputies and directed them to a gray Toyota Sienna in the left-turn lane at Wekiwa Springs Road and Votaw Road.
Deputies conducted a traffic stop and detained M and B as the investigation began.
Statements from suspects
What they’re saying:
B told deputies she and M had been driving near Clay Springs Elementary when the victim, driving a gray BMW, was moving “super slow.”
She claimed the man made an obscene gesture toward them before both vehicles came to a stop. B said the victim struck M in the face, prompting her to get out and intervene, according to the report.
Victim’s account
The other side:
The victim told deputies he was driving south on Wekiwa Springs Road when a minivan attempted to pass him dangerously and then swerved into his lane.
He said M later jumped out of the minivan and repeatedly tried to open his car door. Fearing he would be harmed, the victim told deputies he exited his vehicle, at which point the fight began.
He also alleged that M threatened to shoot him and tried to rip his car door off, according to the report.
Witness account and video
A witness told deputies he saw the minivan swerve toward the BMW before stopping at a traffic light. According to an arrest report, the witness said M exited the minivan, began yelling at the other driver, opened the victim’s car door and pulled him out.
The witness said B then joined the confrontation and struck the victim from behind as the two men fought.
According to deputies, the witness provided deputies with cellphone video, which investigators said shows M attempting to tackle the man before being taken to the ground. The arrest report states B can then be seen striking the victim multiple times in the back of the head.
What’s next:
Deputies charged M and B with battery on a person 65 or older. Both were transported to the Orange County Jail.
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Source: fox35orlando
