Newberry man arrested for pointing gun at teens on I-75
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Robert Charles Reno III, 34, of Newberry, was arrested yesterday for allegedly pointing a gun at two teens on I-75.
At about 12:04 p.m. on September 7, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to the 388 mile marker on southbound I-75 (about two miles south of the NW 39th Avenue exit), where the victims, a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old from High Springs, said a man had pointed a handgun at them while driving next to them.
The deputy’s investigation found that both vehicles were traveling southbound in the left lane when the driver of the victims’ car hit his brakes, causing Reno to have to hit his brakes to prevent a crash. Reno then drove into the center lane, pulled up next to the victims’ car, and allegedly pointed a handgun at the victims. The driver of the victims’ car reportedly drove away from Reno’s car because he believed Reno would shoot them.
Post Miranda, Reno reportedly said at first that there was no gun in his vehicle, then he said there was a shotgun but no handgun, then he said there was a handgun in the vehicle, but it was buried, and there was no way for him to access it while driving. He reportedly provided consent for a search of his vehicle, and the search reportedly produced a handgun that was magnetically attached under the steering wheel of the vehicle. When the deputy asked how the victims had seen the gun, Reno reportedly said he “picked it up,” and when the deputy asked him to clarify that, he reportedly raised his arm above chest height and moved it to the left, matching what the victims reported.
When the deputy asked why he had done that, Reno reportedly said he was “pissed off” because the driver hit his brakes and the passenger was hanging out the window. He said they could have caused an accident by making him slow down from 75-80 mph to 55-60 mph. He said the victims did not threaten him at any time.
Reno has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He has no criminal history, and Judge Susan Miller-Jones ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold him without bail until trial; if the judge denies the motion, bail will be set at that hearing.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
This boy dangerous!
I hate it when idiots get in front of me on the interstate and hit their brakes too.
Difference between this idiot and me is I don’t point a gun at them. Maybe a finger, but never a gun.
He thinks he is a tough guy. But he’s just the Coward of springs county.
Glad no one was hurt, and arrested this guy. No one is justifying his actions.
Did they also cite the “victim” for the brake check on the interstate?
Yes, brake checking is illegal in Florida, primarily under the statute for **reckless driving (Florida Statute 316.192) ** because it constitutes a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of others and creates a substantial risk of harm. Drivers who brake check can face criminal charges, significant fines (up to $1,000 for aggressive driving), points on their license, potential jail time, and increased insurance rates. Furthermore, if brake checking leads to an accident, the brake checker can be held civilly liable for damages and injuries caused by their dangerous actions
Did they slam on their breaks to mess with him? Or was there another reason? Regardless, he couldn’t keep his cool and now they are the victims
So you’re justifying what he did by saying there’s a law against brake checking .he admitted that he was going 75-80 mph and he had to slow down to 60 65 is why he got mad. But isn’t the speed limit 70 so he was breaking the law and I do believe there is a law about when traffic is congested that you need to slow down even more than the speed limit. I guess Mr Reno was in big hurry to get home get a nice cold Bud light.
> No one is justifying his actions.
Except you I guess.
Brake checks suck and are a horrible thing… of course, if you didn’t just cut off the person behind you then brake checks aren’t anything to worry about.
Now, if you’re the type of idiot that points your gun at the drivers who made you angry, you’re probably the same kind of person who would ride up right on your bumper and then be mad when that car hits the brakes.
Dodge Ram vibes on this one.