VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A Florida man accused of causing a crash was stabbed after a fender-bender resulted in a physical fight, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said the victim was sitting at a red light about 10 p.m. Wednesday at the intersection of County Road 415 and State Road 44 in New Smyrna Beach when 23-year-old Javier Bolanos, of Port St. Lucie, hit the back of the victim’s Chevrolet Malibu with his Toyota Camry.
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The two drivers pulled over into a nearby Circle K gas station and got out of their vehicles to assess the damage. Deputies said at some point, Bolanos, who, according to an incident report, claimed to be in a rush to get to the birth of his child, offered the victim $1,000 to cover the damage to his car if he didn’t involve law enforcement. The victim declined his offer and called police to report the crash, according to deputies.
While the victim was on the phone with dispatchers, Bolanos threw a cigarette at him and attacked him, punching him in the face and kicking him, according to the report. In an effort to defend himself, the victim pulled out a pocket knife and stabbed Bolanos in his left rib cage before telling him to sit down and wait for law enforcement officers to arrive.
According to the incident report, Bolanos told deputies he is a trained Muay-Thai fighter and thought the victim had a look on his face “like he wanted to fight.”
The victim was not visibly injured in the attack, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies said Bolanos was found to be the primary aggressor and was arrested for simple battery. Investigators also found marijuana and 258 Xanax 2 mg. tablets inside the suspect’s vehicle, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. He faces an additional charge of unlawful possession of a schedule IV substance.
Bolanos was medically cleared then taken to the Volusia County Branch Jail, where he was released on $3,500 bail, deputies said.