An Orlando man’s Fourth of July celebration ended in arrest after police discovered him shooting fireworks out of his car window while traveling alongside other vehicles.
A Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputy was patrolling near Lake Wales around 9:00 p.m. on July 4th when he noticed a purple 2001 Honda CRZ driving north on US 27.
The driver was aggressively firing a Roman candle, a typical holiday firecracker that discharges many flaming projectiles from a foot-long tube, directly onto the surrounding traffic through his open window.
The deputy promptly stopped the vehicle. During the traffic check, the driver, 29-year-old Anthony Geraldo Rodriguez, admitted to the reckless stunt. According to law enforcement, Rodriguez admitted that he “messed up,” telling the deputy that his friend had recently recorded a video doing the same thing and felt it looked nice.
A later search of the Honda CRZ uncovered additional pyrotechnics within the driver’s reach. Deputies discovered extra Roman candles on the front passenger seat, as well as a mortar-style firecracker on the floorboard.
Rodriguez was taken into custody without additional incident. He has been charged with misdemeanor counts of reckless driving and culpable negligence.
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