KISSIMMEE, Fla. – A man accused of drawing a gun on another driver in a Kissimmee Publix parking lot has been arrested, the Osceola County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday.
Carlos Luis Mercado was arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Bartow on charges of aggravated assault and grand theft auto charges. He will be booked into jail before being transferred to Osceola County at a later time.
Deputies said a relative of Mercado contacted the Osceola County Sheriff's Office after seeing the incident on the news. The family member provided information that led Polk deputies to Mercado's home, where he was arrested.
Deputies said Mercado struck a man's vehicle Sunday on Irlo Bronson Highway.
"It started as a small accident, and the victim believed he was going to stop and share information, like (people involved in) small accidents usually do," said Osceola sheriff's Capt. Jacob Ruiz.
The victim told investigators that the black Hyundai Elantra did not stop, so he followed it into the Publix parking lot to take a picture of its license plate. He told investigators that the driver of the Hyundai stopped, got out and pointed a black handgun at him.
The incident was captured on the victim's cellphone camera, deputies said.
In the video, Mercado sees the victim recording him, so he drops his gun, turns around and goes back to his Hyundai.
Detectives said Mercado was driving a vehicle with California license plates that had been reported stolen March 11 out of Osceola County.
The stolen car was recovered by authorities, officials said.