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A man in Florida has been arrested after he allegedly opened fire on a car full of teenagers during a scary road rage incident.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that Ruben Rodriguez Heredia was involved in a road rage incident on Wednesday, December 17, that began at the intersection of Branan Field Road and Blanding Boulevard. While the situation first began as a traffic dispute, it escalated into a rolling shooting.
Several witnesses called 911 to report that a black pickup truck was aggressively pursuing a black sedan as the truck’s driver shot at the car full of teenagers. The pursuit continued for several miles and only ended when the teenagers were able to pull into the HCA Middleburg Emergency Center parking lot.
Deputies eventually arrived at the hospital, where they found two 18-year-old males and a 17-year-old male in the sedan. One of the 18-year-olds was injured after he was hit by a bullet in the leg. However, he was treated at the scene and is expected to fully recover. Meanwhile, the other two teenagers were able to escape the incident completely unharmed.
When it came to tracking down Heredia, 63, the sheriff’s deputies acted fast. Approximately 10 minutes after the first witness called 911 to report the crime, patrol units spotted the suspect’s pickup truck as it headed westbound on CR-218. Deputies were able to execute a high-risk traffic stop near Timberwood Trail, where they caught Heredia and took him into custody before he could inflict more violence on other drivers
Heredia was booked into the Clay County Jail and was charged with three counts of attempted murder, according to the news release. He is currently being held on a $750,003 bond.
Following his arrest, investigators emphasized that Heredia’s attack was random and not a targeted incident. Authorities interviewed witnesses, processed multiple crime scenes and reviewed security footage amid the investigation, only to determine that Heredia had no connection to the teenagers he targeted.
“This stemmed solely from road rage,” the Sheriff’s Office stated in the release.
Police are asking anyone with additional information to contact the Clay County Sheriff’s Office at (904) 264-6512 or to submit a tip regarding the incident via SaferWatch.
The state of Florida defines “attempted murder” in relation to an “individual’s actions and proximity to an unsuccessful homicide,” according to the Flaherty and Merriefield Criminal Defense website. An individual in Florida could be charged with attempted murder if prosecutors believe the person “perpetrates or attempts to perpetrate any felony enumerated in s. 782.04(3) and who commits, aids or abets an intentional act that is not an essential element of the felony and that could, but does not, cause the death of another.”
The website added that Florida “has an intentionally ‘open’ definition of what constitutes attempted murder” because “prosecutors often wish to bring charges against anyone who was involved in the crime.”
If he is charged with second-degree attempted murder, he could face fines up to $10,000, up to 15 years in prison and up to 15 years of probation. Meanwhile, first-degree attempted murder charges can result in fines up to $10,000 and a life prison sentence without the possibility of parole.
