An incident on July 31 escalated into an armed carjacking when 29-year-old Christopher De Jesus Baez allegedly took a man's gun and used it against him, according to Orlando police. In what started as a casual drive around Orlando in a 2023 Kia Forte ended in a deserted Walmart parking lot on S. Semoran Boulevard, where the victim found himself staring down the barrel of his firearm, now in the hands of Baez.
As reported by ClickOrlando, the victim had spent several hours of the day with Baez, picking up and dropping off other friends before they remained alone at the crime scene. Upon returning to the driver’s seat after accessing the trunk, the victim was confronted with a dire situation. "Baez chambered a round and fired a shot into the passenger-side A/C vent," police said, after the victim had brushed off an initial armed threat as a joke.
The confrontation became more perilous when, as WESH reported, Baez fired another shot, this one directly at the victim, who fortunately evaded injury. Baez then allegedly commandeered the vehicle and fled southbound. The victim managed to escape and alerted authorities from a nearby 7-Eleven.
Social media videos document Orlando officers as they respond to the carjacking report and eventually apprehend Baez at the Baldwin Meadows apartment complex. Baez, who is known to the law as a convicted felon, is now facing multiple serious allegations, including attempted second-degree murder, armed carjacking, and aggravated assault with a firearm, among others.
