Monday, September 16, 2024

Cape Coral police: Drunken driving crash ends with golf club melee in city streets

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Cape Coral Police say a Sunday afternoon crash in which one driver rear-ended another ended in a melee when one grabbed a golf club and busted out the windows of a car with people inside.

They found Antonio Guzman Garcia, 38, covered in blood, and he now faces 11 charges linked to the crash including drunken driving, intimidating a police officer, battery and destruction of property. Lee County Jail records list him as a transient.

Police said about 12:20 p.m., that witnesses said Guzman Garcia rear-ended a Chevy Malibu in his Ford F150, which was towing a trailer, on Cape Coral Parkway East and Del Prado Boulevard South. The Malibu, in turn, rear-ended a Jeep Wrangler.

The driver of the Jeep told officers when he and his passenger went to take photos of Guzman Garcia’s license plate, Guzman Garcia shoved him toward oncoming traffic.

The driver of the Jeep said they then stepped in to break things up between Guzman Garcia and the driver of the Malibu, who had a child in the car, and Guzman Garcia punched the Jeep’s passenger on the side of the head. The pair returned to the Jeep.

More: Cape Coral man, 25, dead following motorcycle crash in Fort Myers

Guzman Garcia retrieved a golf club, with which he shattered the driver’s side window of the Jeep, cutting the driver and passenger, a police report indicates. The Jeep driver said the golf club snapped, and Guzman Garcia stabbed at him with the broken end. He drove the Jeep across the street to wait for police.

The driver of the Malibu told officers the truck rear-ended her very hard, giving her minor injuries. She said she watched the fight break out between the two other drivers.

Jeep occupants and Guzman Garcia, and Guzman Garcia broke the window of the Jeep and stabbing at the driver.

She said Guzman Garcia then approached her vehicle and hit her window with the golf club until officers arrived.

Officers found the broken club near the crash site.

Police said that as they approached Guzman Garcia, he was extremely agitated and appeared disoriented, telling officers someone pointed a gun at him.

The Cape Coral Fire Department arrived on scene, and while Guzman Garcia was talking to a firefighter, he appeared to go unconscious. Officers observed he had bloodshot, watery eyes.

While following the ambulance to the hospital, it suddenly stopped, they said. When officers opened the back rescue doors, they found medics restraining a combative and physically aggressive Guzman Garcia.

One medic said Guzman Garcia spit blood into his face, which was visible, the report indicated. Officers helped restrain Guzman Garcia and took him to the hospital.

Officers said Guzman Garcia swearing profusely, then he passed out. They could smell alcohol, they said. Medical staff at the hospital said Guzman Garcia had a blood-alcohol level of 0.177− more than twice Florida’s legal limit.

He faces, one count of drunken driving, three counts of drunken driving property and personal injury damage, two counts of battery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with the intent to commit a felony, criminal mischief, battery on a specific person and one count of threats against law enforcement.

He remained jailed Monday on a $71,500 bond. He’s due in court July 8.

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