WEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. (WSVN) — Homestead Police Department officials have announced that both drivers involved in a road rage incident will face charges.
Traffic Homicide Investigators reviewed all of the video and determined that probable cause exists for the arrest of 23-year-old Rone Gonzalez, who was driving the motorcycle. Gonzalez will be charged with reckless driving.
Thirty-year-old Kristian Rosa, the driver in a red Ford Fusion, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and reckless driving, according to police.
They both shared a van as they were transported from the Homestead Police Department to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, Wednesday. "You guys are going to jail today for a situation that could have been avoided," said Homestead Police Detective Fernando Morales. "Simply by driving off or making the next turn or by calling the police, or just by avoiding the situation."
The incident occurred when Mechanic Rone Gonzalez was driving his motorcycle to work Monday morning, when Rosa was allegedly caught on Gonzalez’s helmet cam cutting him off near Southwest 137th Avenue and Campbell Drive, in Homestead.
Gonzalez rode between two lanes to the front of the pack of drivers when he and the driver played a dangerous game of cat and mouse, going over 100 miles per hour, police said.
At the following red light, several words and hand gestures were exchanged, before Gonzalez smacked the driver’s mirror and zoomed off. "At that point, I just wanted to get out of the situation," he said. "You know what? Forget about this."
He tried to get away from the driver but ended up driving in the opposite lane and for almost a minute, Gonzalez sped against oncoming traffic. At least five cars came at him as he swerved in between them. "Mr. Gonzalez went eastbound into westbound lanes against traffic, which was extremely dangerous," said Homestead Police Detective John Buchanan. "Driving in a reckless manner against traffic, over 100 miles an hour."
Buchanan, along with other detectives, retraced the tracks left by the rider, who in January posted on Facebook: "My future mug shot lol, I just wanna enjoy my ride why people bugging!?"
According to police, Rosa tried to hit the 23-year-old. "He uses his vehicle to strike the motorcycle. That’s the first aggravated assault there," Buchanan said. "Goes into some sort of a rage, as we can see from his driving pattern."
The driver tried to get into the opposite lane, and with his body partially out of the car, he spat at Gonzalez. He then appeared to try to hit the motorcycle before Gonzalez managed to get away. "I’m just like, ‘Man, I’m on a motorcycle. My life is literally on your hands,’" Gonzalez said.
When Gonzalez was asked why he hit the driver’s mirror, he said it was not the right way to react. "I don’t know, to be honest. It was a stupid move," he said.
He told 7News that he wears a camera to document all of his rides.
Homestead Police said Rosa actually called police while he was still on the road and filed a complaint on Gonzalez. The police report said in part that Rosa got into a "verbal argument with unknown male who smacked his rear view mirror causing minor damage."
Rosa said in a text message to 7News that he is not proud of his actions and, "It only takes a second for an accident to happen yet we both took no consideration over our loved ones or the people around us at the time. Lesson learned."
After the story aired on 7News on Monday night, Homestead Police went over the tapes from all the streets that the two drove on during this altercation and were able to make those arrests.
Gonzales bonded out of jail early Thursday morning, while Rosa remains in jail.