Police in Port Richey say a 59-year-old man fired a handgun near a Family Dollar parking lot on Halloween night after getting angry with a bartender, then ran toward a nearby apartment complex before officers caught up with him at gunpoint. Luis Eugene Rosa now faces four charges, including possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Dispatch Call Sends Officers to Congress and Ridge
Officers were sent to the area of Congress Street and Ridge Road Saturday night after dispatch reported that a man had fired a gun in the parking lot of a Family Dollar, according to Pasco News. Per the arrest report described in that account, a man matching the description then ran toward apartments on Deeb Street. A responding officer located Rosa at the apartments and reported seeing him place a firearm down beside him. Police held him at gunpoint and took him into custody.
Officers who searched the area recovered a spent shell casing, the outlet's report states. A witness told police they had seen Rosa fire the weapon at the exact spot where the casing was later found, and officers said the casing matched the handgun recovered from him.
Rosa Says He Was Angry With a Bartender
According to the arrest-report account, Rosa told officers he had become angry with a bartender and fired a round into the concrete because he believed he was standing far enough away from her not to cause harm. He also said he had consumed a four-pack of Bud Ice beer, and had more alcohol with him at the time, per the same account. Police described Rosa as smelling strongly of alcohol, with bloodshot, glassy eyes and slurred speech.
A criminal history check turned up a prior felony conviction out of New Jersey, police said, a detail that factors into the most serious charge Rosa now faces. He was arrested at approximately 9:33 p.m. on Halloween night and transported to the Pasco County Jail, the report notes.
Charges Filed, Case Still in Early Stages
Rosa faces charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, discharging a firearm in public, using a firearm while under the influence, and disorderly intoxication, per the arrest-report account. The evidence reviewed does not establish whether those charges have been amended or how the case has since proceeded.
Florida law addresses the discharge-in-public allegation directly. Under Florida Statute 790.15(1), knowingly discharging a firearm in a public place is a first-degree misdemeanor, subject to certain exceptions. The statute itself does not determine whether or how it applies to the specifics of Rosa's case.
