MARION COUNTY, Fla. – An 85-year-old man is accused of following another driver home and shooting at him in an apparent road rage incident caught on camera, according to the Marion County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies said the victim, who lives in Marion Oaks, was driving home from work Wednesday around 6:30 p.m. when he noticed Christino Aquino kept flashing the high-beam headlights on his white Mazda in the victim's rearview mirror.
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The victim told deputies Aquino and the woman in the Mazda with him followed him back to his neighborhood, even though he had taken the back roads, and the victim called 911 because he was scared to go home.
While on the phone with dispatchers, the victim said he saw Aquino had something that looked like a gun.
85-YEAR OLD MAN ARRESTED FOR SHOOTING AT DRIVER DURING ROAD RAGE INCIDENTMarion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Deputy Christian Guerra arrested 85-year old Christino Aquino (DOB: 06/15/1933) after he followed a motorist home and shot at him in Marion Oaks Wednesday evening as a result of an apparent road rage incident. The victim happened to have a dash camera in his vehicle, which captured the entire incident on camera. On Wednesday, January 16, 2019, at approximately 6:30 p.m., a man who lives in Marion Oaks was driving home from work when he noticed a suspicious vehicle that kept flashing its high-beam headlights in his rear-view mirror. The vehicle, a white Mazda 4-door SUV, was being driven by Aquino and had a female passenger. Aquino followed the victim back to his neighborhood and the victim called 9-1-1 because he was afraid to go home. The victim was able to get behind Aquino’s vehicle so he could begin giving the suspect’s tag number to dispatchers when Aquino started shooting at the victim. The victim was unharmed but his car was struck by several bullets. The victim fled the scene and Deputy Guerra made contact with him shortly after and obtained a copy of his dash camera video depicting the entire incident as the victim described. Deputy Guerra and Deputy Tim Marton then responded to Aquino’s home and took Aquino into custody. Deputies noticed that Aqunio matched the suspect’s description and was in possession of the suspect’s vehicle. Aquino declined to make a statement about the incident, but the female passenger told deputies that Aquino followed the victim’s vehicle to “see what he wanted.” She also stated that she saw Aquino holding the gun but did not know if he fired it or not. The victim told deputies that he did not know Aquino and did not know why he would follow him home and shoot at him. Aquino has been charged with one count of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and is currently being held in the Marion County Jail on $2,000 bond. If you are involved in road rage incident, call 9-1-1 immediately and drive to a safe area.
Posted by Marion County Sheriff's Office on Thursday, January 17, 2019
"I have a vehicle that's following me and just blocking my way. When he pulled up next to me, when I went to the grass to pass him, he had something in his hand and it almost looks like a pistol wrapped around with a white rag or a plastic bag and he tells me, 'Get back. Get back,'" the victim could be heard saying in video captured by his dashboard camera.
Deputies said the victim was eventually able to get behind Aquino and tried to read his tag number to dispatchers over the phone, but Aquino began shooting at the victim's vehicle.
"Oh, [expletive]. He's shooting at me. He just shot! He just shot! That bag is a gun," the victim said.
The victim, who said he does not know Aquino, was able to get away, but his vehicle was hit by several bullets, according to deputies.
Deputies met up with the victim a short time after to retrieve a copy of his dashboard camera recording, which captured the entire incident on video, the Sheriff's Office said.
Authorities arrested Aquino at his home, where they found the white Mazda described by the victim, deputies said.
The woman who was in the car with Aquino when the incident took place said Aquino was following the victim to "see what he wanted," according to deputies.
Deputies said the woman also told them she saw Aquino holding the gun the victim described, but did not know if he fired it.
Aquino was arrested on one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and was taken to the Marion County Jail. He was released after posting bond early Friday.
Deputies recommend that anyone involved in a road rage incident should call 911 immediately and drive to a safe place.
Click here for tips on how to keep your cool on the road.