Man accused of pointing handgun with laser at driver during Florida road rage incident
By Tyler Watkins & Kyle Schmidt
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CAPE CORAL, Florida (WBBH) — An 18-year-old was arrested after Cape Coral police say he brandished a firearm during a road rage incident at the Santa Barbara Boulevard N and NE Pine Island Road intersection.
On Wednesday night, the Cape Coral Police Department responded to the disturbance. The victim told officers that a driver in a black Cadillac sedan pointed a black handgun with a green laser at them while making threatening statements.
“If a day goes by and I don’t see a road rage, that is amazing down here in the Cape,” Pine Island resident Silver Angel said. “Even if it doesn’t involve me personally, I see it in and out, people yelling, people flipping each other off.”
The victim said that he attempted to distance himself from the vehicle, fearing for his safety, according to the CCPD news release.
Officers found a vehicle matching the description at a KFC parking lot on Hancock Bridge Parkway, near where the incident happened.
Police identified the driver as Dismas Jeffrey Ballez. According to CCPD, Ballez told officers that he was “scared” during the encounter, and a passenger in the vehicle said Ballez did point the weapon toward the other vehicle.
Officers found a black handgun with a green laser attachment on the passenger seat during a search. CCPD said it was seized and placed into evidence.
Ballez was arrested and is facing a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon at this time.
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