A Wednesday afternoon drive through Winter Haven turned into a roadside nightmare when, authorities say, a Lakeland man erupted in a hammer-swinging road rage attack that left another driver bloodied and with a broken nose. The violence allegedly played out in full view of the victim’s children, while stunned motorists and nearby residents watched the chaos unfold.
The confrontation kicked off around 4:48 p.m. at Helena Road and Cypress Gardens Boulevard, where two trucks hauling rocks allegedly cut off the victim’s vehicle and then boxed him in. According to witnesses, one driver opened the victim’s door and began punching him, then briefly returned to his truck, grabbed a hammer, and struck the victim several times before dragging him onto the pavement, as reported by the Tampa Free Press.
‘Violent and brutal,’ sheriff says
“The suspect furiously attacked another driver; it was violent and brutal, and left the victim bloodied, with a broken nose,” Sheriff Grady Judd said, as quoted by the Tampa Free Press. Deputies arrived to find the victim suffering significant facial injuries, but the attacker had already taken off before law enforcement reached the intersection.
Suspect identified and booked
Detectives used registration records for the rock-hauling trucks to identify 39-year-old Jose Antonio Rosa Negron of Lakeland, who was taken into custody Thursday morning. He was transported to the Sheriff’s Processing Center in Winter Haven and now faces several felony charges, including first-degree burglary with battery, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and four counts of false imprisonment, according to local reporting. Booking information and Sheriff’s Processing Center details are listed on the Polk County Sheriff's Office website.
What the charges mean
Aggravated battery, which can include using a deadly weapon or causing great bodily harm, is a serious felony under Florida law, while false imprisonment involves unlawfully confining or restraining someone. For specific definitions and penalties under state law, see Chapter 784 and Chapter 787 of the Florida Statutes, available from the Florida Senate and the Florida Senate.
Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the attack or has video of the incident to contact the Polk County Sheriff's Office. The case remains under investigation, and prosecutors are handling the charges, according to local reporting.
