FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A Collier County man appeared in a Broward courtroom Thursday after police accused him of opening fire during a road rage incident in a Costco parking lot.
It happened on Wednesday morning at the chain’s location at 1890 S. University Drive in Davie.
Rafael Javier, 52, of Ave Maria, is facing multiple charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Police said he fired a shot at another man’s vehicle during an altercation.
Cellphone video captured the tense confrontation in the parking lot. The footage shows Javier armed while arguing with another man before the two begin fighting. Moments later, a single shot is fired.
In a 911 call obtained by Local 10, the alleged victim’s girlfriend told dispatchers, “My boyfriend just got into an altercation with someone and he just shot our tire. He pulled out a gun and shot our tire.”
The alleged victim, who identified himself as Scott, said Javier was angry that he had pulled his SUV too far ahead of a stop sign in the parking lot of the membership-only wholesaler.
“We got into a fight. He pulled out a gun. We got into another fight, which is the video you see. And then, for some reason, he shot the gun,” the victim said.
Remarkably, no one was injured. “He definitely should not have a gun,” Scott said.
Javier had posted bond but had not walked out of jail as of Thursday evening.
Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
