COCOA, Fla. – Darius Cottle, 26, was arrested and charged Thursday in the drive-by shooting of an apartment complex in Cocoa, according to the Cocoa Police Department and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.
Cocoa police responding to shots fired at the Crestview Villas Apartments on North Fiske Boulevard on Tuesday said they were able to locate bullet holes in the windows and exterior walls of two units, as well as 18 shell casings in a parking lot.
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A resident of one of the impacted units told police that Cottle, who she described as an acquaintance of her boyfriend, verbally and physically fought with her at the apartment earlier that evening, records show.
The victim told police that she — along with some of her friends and family members — had received threatening messages from Cottle prior to the alleged shooting, according to an arrest warrant. Furthermore, the victim described seeing posts on social media made by Cottle that stated he was “after” her, police said.
Cocoa police issued an arrest warrant for Cottle on Wednesday. He was arrested by Brevard County deputies Thursday morning and booked at the Brevard County jail on two misdemeanor and five felony charges, including possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and shooting into an occupied dwelling, altogether netting him a $372,000 bond.