A Miami man has been arrested after a confrontation over picking mangos escalated into an armed threat. The incident, which was captured on a Ring camera, took place in the 2700 block of NW 5th Street last Monday afternoon. Rodrigo Mendizabal, 29, is now facing charges, including aggravated assault on a person 65 or older with a deadly weapon and improper exhibition of a firearm, as reported by CBS News Miami.
The situation unraveled when, according to police, the victim, who was driving by at the time, noticed a mango tree and asked a woman at the residence for permission to pick fruit. Growing impatient with the victim's delay, the woman called Mendizabal. After being informed he had permission to take two or three mangos, the victim began to leave, only for Mendizabal to follow him to his vehicle. He then produced a gun, and said: "I'm going to shoot you," the victim told police, according to CBS News Miami.
Mendizabal, detained while exiting his home, consented for police to review his Ring camera footage. The video showed him approaching the victim's vehicle, pulling a gun from his pocket, and racking the slide, say police. Mendizabal, however, has denied pointing the gun at the victim, adding to his account that he owned a gun inside his home, as per the arrest report.
As Local 10 News highlighted, businesses like Zak the Baker in Miami exchange a loaf of bread for six mangos and 15 mangos for a pint of mango ice cream at Whip ‘n Dip in Miami-Dade. "It’s one of many stories involving mangos and angry residents," Local 10 News remarked.
Mendizabal was granted a $500 bond on the improper exhibition charge, while the bond for the felony charge is to be set.
