POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A late-night confrontation on a Polk County highway ended in handcuffs Tuesday after a driver allegedly brandished what appeared to be a handgun during a road rage dispute.
Deputies with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office were called to the intersection of US 17-92 and Ernie Caldwell Boulevard near Davenport around 11:14 p.m. on April 14.
According to investigators, the victims reported that the driver of a silver 2013 Toyota Venza began an aggressive series of maneuvers, including cursing at them, flashing his headlights, and abruptly cutting off their vehicle.
The situation escalated when the driver allegedly pointed a firearm at the occupants and threatened to shoot them.
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Deputies located the Toyota and identified the driver as 40-year-old Mark Cardona of Davenport. During the encounter, Cardona admitted to pointing a weapon at the other vehicle, though he told deputies the device was actually a pepper ball gun rather than a traditional firearm.
Regardless of the projectile type, the responding deputy noted that the device was designed to look like a real gun. Because the victims believed they were under the threat of lethal force, Cardona was taken into custody and transported to the Sheriff’s Processing Center.
Cardona now faces two counts of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon without Intent to Kill, which is a third-degree felony.
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