MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. – Video shows a Merritt Island man climb into an Amazon delivery van and drive off with the driver inside because the driver wanted to move the truck, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office said.
On Feb. 25, the Amazon driver stopped on Cepheus Court to make a delivery when Joseph Baldi, 64, in a beige Toyota, yelled at the driver, then got into the van and drove while the driver chased and confronted him, according to an arrest affidavit.
Deputies said the video shows Baldi throw the van into drive, accelerate, and later slam on the brakes while the driver was inside. The driver also ended up striking his face on a partition and had a metal rack thrust into his arm.
According to the affidavit, the victim told deputies Baldi got out of the vehicle, left it in drive and the victim managed to bring it to a stop.
During a traffic stop on Monday, when asked why he entered the Amazon truck, Baldi told deputies, “because it was in the middle of the road. You and I have more common sense than to not leave your truck in the middle of the road, motor running, and the door wide open.”
Baldi was arrested on charges that include kidnapping and grand theft of a motor vehicle.