Cape man accused of firing gun in ‘road rage’ incident
A Cape Coral man was arrested after he allegedly discharged a firearm during what police say was a road rage incident.
Johnathan Campillo, 37, has been charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of discharging a firearm from a vehicle within 1,000 feet of a person.
Around 8 p.m. Saturday, Cape Coral Police Department officers were called for a report of shots fired in the 4500 Block of Del Prado Boulevard S.
Police state a 9-1-1 caller told dispatchers they were traveling north on Del Prado Boulevard when a white pickup truck that was tailgating fired three to four shots from a handgun. Police state the caller drove to the intersection of Veterans Memorial Parkway and Country Club Boulevard to meet with officers.
“The reporting party told officers that, while in the middle lane, he heard a loud horn from a white pickup truck, described as sounding like a train horn,” a CCPD release states. “He said the truck approached them from behind at a high rate of speed. The reporting party said he tapped his brakes to avoid a collision with the vehicle in front of him, at which point the truck began tailgating him. He looked in his mirror and saw the driver holding what appeared to be a black handgun in his left hand. He then heard three to four loud pops and saw sparks crossing the roadway from east to west, which he described as gunshots.”
CCPD officials state the reporting party sped up to escape, but that Campillo allegedly continued tailgating him before switching to the right lane and pulling up alongside his vehicle.
“He said the driver — described as a male with dark hair, a beard, and a light-colored long-sleeve shirt — was hanging out of the driver’s side window, shouting obscenities, banging on the door of the truck, and demanding the victim pull over,” the release states. “The suspect vehicle eventually turned left near the 2600 block of Del Prado Boulevard S. The victim then drove to meet officers.”
Police officials said there were two other occupants in the reporting party’s vehicle: an adult in the front passenger seat and a 3-year-old child in the back. Both adults told officers they feared for their lives and the safety of the child and provided a detailed description of the suspect vehicle and its license plate.
After dispatch identified the registered owner of the truck, officials said officers responded to Campillo’s listed address and observed the vehicle turning onto Southeast 8th Place from Southeast 22nd Lane. CCPD officials said upon seeing a marked Cape Coral Police car, the truck paused, then continued westbound on Southeast 22nd Lane. Officers conducted a traffic stop and detained the occupants. Campillo was identified as the driver, according to police. CCPD officials said in the vehicle with him were an adult passenger and three juveniles in the back seat, and that a black handgun was observed in plain view under the driver’s seat.
“Campillo’s adult passenger told investigators the other vehicle had ‘brake-checked’ them, causing Campillo to slam on his brakes,” CCPD’s release states. “She said he honked the horn, passed the vehicle, and they continued home. She claimed they paused at the intersection because they decided to get food instead of going home, and denied that Campillo ever pointed or fired a gun.”
“Both the victim and his adult passenger positively identified Campillo as the driver of the white truck, each stating they were ‘100% sure.’ Neither individual had seen or met Campillo prior to this incident.”
CCPD officials said the Department of Children and Families was notified due to the presence of juveniles in the vehicle during the incident.
As of Monday afternoon, Campillo was still in custody at Lee County Jail, being held on a $200,000 bond.
To reach CJ HADDAD, please email cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.coom