A 24-year-old Miami-Dade man is facing felony charges after police say he pulled a handgun on a teenager during a road-rage run-in that started when the teen "blew a kiss" at a woman riding in the man's car. Christian Quintero was arrested Tuesday and booked into county custody on a $7,500 bond on charges of aggravated assault with a firearm and falsely impersonating a law enforcement officer, according to an arrest report.
What investigators say
Detectives say the confrontation unfolded on Feb. 10 near Southwest 48th Street and Southwest 107th Avenue. A teen on an electric bicycle allegedly blew a kiss toward a woman sitting in a white Toyota Camry. The driver of the Camry then followed and harassed the teens, according to the report, prompting one bicyclist to start recording video that captured the car and its Florida license plate.
At one point, the driver rolled down a window, pointed a handgun and asked, "Where's your boy," leaving the teen who was confronted in fear for his life, as reported by Local 10.
How detectives tracked him down
Investigators traced the license plate to a vehicle registered to another man who lives at the same address as Quintero, the arrest report states. The teen later picked Quintero out of a photo lineup on April 15.
Detectives reviewed the video, which they say showed two people inside the Camry. Quintero was taken into custody at the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office Kendall District station and then transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
After getting out of the vehicle during the encounter, the driver reportedly told the teen, "I'm a cop," according to Local 10.
Legal implications
Under Florida Statutes §784.021, pointing a firearm in a threatening way can be prosecuted as aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a third-degree felony. Falsely impersonating a law-enforcement officer is also a third-degree felony under Florida Statutes §843.08, and penalties can be increased if the impersonation happens while another felony is being committed.
Context
Cases involving fake cops and guns on the roadway are not unique to South Florida. In April, a San Diego man pleaded guilty after posing as a U.S. Border Patrol agent to interfere with deportations, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Locally, prosecutors are expected to review the arrest packet and decide on formal charges and court dates in the coming weeks.
Quintero remains jailed pending prosecution. According to the arrest report, anyone with video or additional information about the Feb. 10 confrontation has been asked to contact Miami-Dade investigators.
