Florida man chased, shot at ex-girlfriend before causing wreck with deputy's patrol vehicle, officials say
Man accused of chasing ex-girlfriend, firing at car and causing crash
A 21-year-old man is accused of chasing his ex-girlfriend along a Central Florida highway, firing at her vehicle and causing a crash that injured two civilians and a sheriff’s deputy, authorities said.
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - A 17-year-old girl was on the phone with 911 as her 21-year-old ex-boyfriend chased, shot at, and crashed the car she was riding in, according to the Osceola County Sheriff's Office. The crash forced the girl's friend to lose control of the vehicle and then crash into an Osceola County deputy, who was responding to the girl's 911 call.
The teenage girl and her 20-year-old friend were both taken to the hospital with serious injuries, OCSO said. The deputy was also taken to the hospital, treated, and released.
The 21-year-old suspect was arrested and booked into jail on two counts of attempted murder, discharging a gun from a vehicle, and fleeing and eluding a police officer, OCSO said.
The backstory:
Osceola County deputies received a 911 call just after 11 p.m. from a 17-year-old girl who said her ex-boyfriend was chasing her in his vehicle and shooting at her. She was riding with her friend, identified as a 20-year-old boy, in a Mitsubishi Lancer.
Deputies said the girl's ex-boyfriend, 21-year-old Christian Rivera, followed them on US-192 and fired multiple shots into the passenger side of the car, where the girl was seated.
He then rammed his BMW 330I into the Lancer, forcing it into the eastbound lanes of US-192, where it collided with a responding deputy's patrol vehicle, the sheriff's office said.
Christian Rivera (Credit: Osceola County Jail)
According to the arrest report, the 17-yer-old and her friend called 911 and were on their way towards one of OCSO's stations for help.
What they're saying:
The crash happened within feet from Walter Valle's dad's home, he said.
"He just looked through the windows and saw that an accident had taken place," Valle said. "We're very concerned, we're very scared about these kinds of events. We've always been, and the fact that it happened last night, just increases that feeling way more."
The Source: This story was written with information released by the Osceola County Sheriff's Office.