Winter Garden man arrested for pointing gun at woman on I-75

Staff report

ALACHUA, Fla. – Christopher Nickolas Perez-Diberardino, 19, of Winter Garden, was arrested yesterday and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly following a woman on I-75 and pointing a gun at her; the gun was later found to be an airsoft pistol.

Florida Highway Patrol Troopers were dispatched to help a woman who was driving south from Georgia on I-75 at about 3:50 p.m. yesterday; the victim said the driver of a black Nissan Rogue was acting erratic and had pointed a handgun at her. She was advised to get off the interstate at Exit 399 in Alachua and pulled into a gas station; the Rogue followed her into the parking lot of the gas station.

The trooper detained Perez-Diberardino, the driver of the Rogue, and found a handgun in plain view on the center console of his car; the gun matched the description provided by the victim. The gun was round to be a replica airsoft pistol designed to look like a Glock, and the orange safety tip had been removed. The gun was not loaded.

The victim told a trooper that Perez-Diberardino had been following her since about the time she began her trip in Georgia and that he began to drive aggressively after she entered Florida, tailgating her and driving recklessly. She said she slowed down several times to get away from him, but he continued to follow her. She said he brandished a gun at one point and pointed it in her direction; she said she continued to try to get away from him, but he followed her all the way into the gas station.

The trooper wrote that Perez-Diberardino was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon because the gun was pointed at the victim, she felt like her life was in danger, and the gun could have caused serious bodily harm if the airsoft bullet had hit her in the face or eyes while driving.

According to court documents, Perez-Diberardino has lived in Winter Garden for a few weeks, working at a restaurant, and previously lived in Georgia. He has no criminal history. Judge Walter Green set bail at $10,000.

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.