A 14-year-old walking along the sidewalk on the north side of East U.S. Highway 92 in Hillsborough County was suddenly confronted by a passing car on Sept. 22, when a passenger leaned out the window, pointed what looked like a black firearm at the teen, and screamed “Freeze!” before the vehicle sped away. The object turned out to be an AR-15-style Orbeez gun, but not before the terrifying moment left the teen facing down what appeared to be a real weapon in broad daylight, around 4 p.m.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, the passenger was identified as 19-year-old Jordyn Mirelez, who was riding in the front passenger seat of the car when he allegedly leaned his upper body out the window and aimed the toy at the teen before the vehicle took off. Deputies say they made contact with Mirelez the following day, Sept. 23.
Investigators determined that what appeared to be a firearm was actually an Orbeez gun styled after an AR-15, the toy blasters that fire small water-absorbent gel beads and have become popular among teens for backyard games and, increasingly, roadside pranks. Mirelez is now facing charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and disorderly conduct, per the sheriff's office.
What Florida Law Says About the Charge
Under Florida Statutes § 784.021, aggravated assault is defined as an assault committed with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, or with intent to commit a felony. The statute classifies the offense as a third-degree felony.
That distinction, real versus replica, has become a recurring theme in Orbeez-related cases stacking up around the country this year. In Central Florida, a prank went sideways when a loaded handgun was pointed at three teenagers, leading to two arrests, according to the same station's report. Port St. Lucie police arrested 49-year-old Gregory Allen Davis and a 15-year-old after officers said the teen had fired a blue, white and yellow Piranha Orbeez toy gun from a moving vehicle near a residential intersection, escalating the encounter into an armed confrontation.
A Pattern of Escalating Confrontations
Farther afield in Tulsa, an 11-year-old was arrested after allegedly attacking another child and pointing an Orbeez toy gun at officers, according to KTUL. Police there said the 12-year-old victim of that attack was left with several small welts but did not need medical attention. Tulsa police called the behavior “extremely dangerous” and urged parents to talk with their children about the consequences of their actions.
Police in the Port St. Lucie case warned that pranks involving Orbeez guns, airsoft guns or other toy firearms can provoke dangerous reactions from bystanders or officers and lead to serious criminal charges, a caution that echoes what Hillsborough County deputies are now alleging against Mirelez. Whether the teen who was targeted along U.S. 92 needed any medical attention has not been disclosed, and details about the driver of the vehicle Mirelez was riding in have not been released.
