KISSIMMEE, FL — A 21-year-old St. Cloud man was arrested late Monday night after deputies say he chased his ex-girlfriend’s vehicle, fired multiple shots at it, and caused a crash that injured three people, including an Osceola County Sheriff’s Office deputy.
The incident began shortly after 11:00 p.m. Monday, June 8, when a 17-year-old girl called 911 and reported that her ex-boyfriend was chasing the vehicle she was riding in and firing shots at it. The vehicle, a white 2014 Mitsubishi Lancer driven by a 20-year-old Kissimmee man, was traveling on Partin Settlement Road while the teen remained on the phone with dispatchers.
According to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect, identified as Christian Andres Rivera, 21, of St. Cloud, fired several rounds into the passenger side of the Mitsubishi as it traveled toward the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office for safety.
As both vehicles entered U.S. 192 near the sheriff’s office, deputies say Rivera intentionally rammed the Mitsubishi from behind, causing it to lose control and cross into the eastbound lanes. The Mitsubishi then collided with a marked OCSO pickup truck that was responding to the call.
The deputy suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was treated and released from a local hospital. The driver of the Mitsubishi and the 17-year-old passenger were trapped inside the vehicle and had to be extricated. Both were transported to the hospital with serious injuries. Investigators said the teen suffered a gunshot wound in addition to injuries sustained in the crash.
Following the collision, Rivera allegedly fled the scene, traveled onto Florida’s Turnpike, and turned off his headlights in an attempt to avoid capture. Deputies later located him at a relative’s residence in St. Cloud and took him into custody without incident.
Rivera was booked into the Osceola County Jail and faces charges of two counts of attempted murder, discharging a firearm from a vehicle, and fleeing and eluding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing. Nothing further at this time.
