An unsettling display of road rage in Orlando's tourism corridor has left one family shaken and a Red Lobster employee facing serious charges. ClickOrlando reported that Stevon DeSouza, 33, was arrested on a felony charge of aggravated assault with a firearm after he was accused of pointing a gun at a tourist family on Tuesday near the intersection of State Road 528 and International Drive.
The family, who were on their way from Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort to the Orange County Convention Center, were reportedly endangered when DeSouza, who was operating his vehicle along International Drive, allegedly brandished the firearm following a honking dispute. The victim, an off-duty firefighter named Eric Reddish, was with his wife and child at the time of the road rage incident, which escalated near the off-ramp of State Road 528.
The altercation occurred after Reddish attempted to pass DeSouza's gray Mazda, which had a missing bumper and had stopped unexpectedly. According to a FOX 35 Orlando report, Reddish claimed that DeSouza rolled down his window and pointed a black, Glock-style handgun at their vehicle. Fearing for his family's safety, Reddish is pursuing prosecution.
Deputies later confronted DeSouza at a local Red Lobster, where he worked, and upon his admission to displaying his firearm, they took him into custody without incident. A black Taurus handgun was retrieved from his vehicle and collected as evidence. At his first court appearance, a judge ordered DeSouza to surrender any weapons within 24 hours of his release and to have no contact with the victims or witnesses. His bond was set at $5,000.
