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Uber Driver Joseph Soriero Almost Loses Ear in Road Rage Incident at Fort Lauderdale Airport

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cab-hand-iphone-34239-300x200Uber driver Joseph Soriero suffered multiple injuries and had to have his ear reattached after he was beat up in a road rage incident at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport.

According to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, the person who violently attacked Soriero was identified as Sir Christian Alexander Gordon of West Park.

Gordon, 26, was arrested and charged with aggravated battery inflicting bodily hurt or disability. He was released on $10,000 bond. The press did not name an attorney for him.

Soriero encountered Gordon on the airport’s departure level outside Terminal 3 just before noon on May 22. For reasons that are unclear, Gordon reportedly got out of his car and approached Soriero’s car.

Gordon allegedly started aggressively shouting at Soriero. The dispute turned physical when Gordon poked Soriero in the face. Fearing for his safety, Soriero attempted to punch Gordon but missed. Gordon retaliated and knocked Soreiro to the ground, where he punched him four more times. Soriero tried to get up but Gordon punched him again, investigators said.

Soriero was taken to Broward Health Medical Center with multiple injuries, including bruises to his head, a black eye, injuries to his foot, and a torn left ear that had to be reattached to his head with a medical tissue adhesive.

During his bond hearing, Gordon’s bail bondsman reportedly told a Broward judge that the altercation was a case of “self defense.”

Another road rage incident was reported in Miami in April. Mexican telenovela actor Pablo Lyle is accused of fatally punching a 63-year-old man in a Miami street on March 31. The elderly man, identified as Juan Ricardo Hernandez, died four days later from head trauma.

Lyle, 32, was initially charged with battery, but the charge was upgraded to manslaughter after Hernandez died.

According to the news sources, Lyle was caught on video punching Hernandez in the face during a road rage incident on the Dolphin Expressway.

Lyle’s brother-in-law, Lucas Delfino, was driving Lyle and his family to Miami International Airport. Delfino mistakenly exited the Dolphin Expressway and entered NW 27th Avenue. As he was trying to make a u-turn back to the expressway, he cut off Hernandez. The two men stopped their cars on the side of the road for reasons that are unclear.

Hernandez reportedly got out of his vehicle and angrily pounded on driver’s side window of Delfino’s car. Delfino got out of his car—without parking it—to confront Hernandez. His car began to roll forward, so he ran to stop.

Hernandez started to walk back to his car and that was when Lyle got out and started running towards him. Lyle punched him in the face and Hernandez dropped to the ground, unconscious. The family left him there.

Lyle flew to Mexico after the altercation, but returned when his attorney informed him of Hernandez’s death. He is now under house arrest in Miami.

Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Attorney

If you are involved in a personal injury investigation, then you should hire a lawyer. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Fort Lauderdale’s most experienced personal injury attorneys.

Uber Driver Emilio Victores Accused of Sexually Assaulting Woman in North Miami Beach

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cab-hand-iphone-34239-300x200Uber driver Emilio Victores is accused of attempting to sexually assault a female passenger after she fell asleep in his vehicle.

Victores, 45, is charged with attempted sexual battery on a helpless victim. He was ordered held on $25,000 bond. The press did not name an attorney for him.

According to the arrest report, the alleged sexual battery occurred on March 17. The victim, who was on vacation from South Carolina, ordered an Uber Pool from a house in North Miami Beach to a place in Biscayne Park where she was planning to meet her friends.

Victores was allegedly her Uber driver. When he picked up three additional customers, the woman moved to the front seat to make room for them. She told police that she fell asleep during the trip and woke to find the car parked on the side of the road. She was alone with Victores and she noticed that her pants were pulled down. She also noticed that Victores’ pants were unbuttoned and his genitals exposed, according to the report.

“The victim fell asleep in the front seat and was awakened when the driver known to her as Emilio, was on top of her kissing her on the lips,” the report said, according to CBS 4 News. “The victim said that she pushed him off and yelled ‘Stop! Get off me!’ and that Emilio replied, ‘I’m sorry,’ and he complied and got off of her.”

The woman demanded that Victores drop her off at her original destination, which was 12 miles away, and he reportedly complied.

Police didn’t speak to Victores until a few weeks later when he turned himself in. He purportedly agreed to give them a DNA sample and admitted that he had stopped his vehicle on the side of the road on the night of the incident, but he said he did it to check his vehicle’s tires.

Records show that Victores has a criminal history. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2002 for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and was released in 2016. Records also show that he went to jail in the 90s on several charges, including grand theft, attempted robbery with a deadly weapon, and aggravated assault with a weapon.

During his bond hearing, the prosecutor was alarmed that someone with such a criminal history would be allowed to drive for Uber. An Uber spokesperson sent the following statement to news sources on Friday:

“What’s been described is deeply upsetting and our thoughts are with the rider during this difficult time. The driver’s access to the app was removed as soon as it was reported to us.”

Uber reportedly does background checks on all of its drivers and follows the Florida law that requires drivers for ride-sharing companies to have not been convicted of a felony for the past five years. Victores’ last conviction was in 2001.

Miami Sex Crime Attorney

If you are involved in a sex crime, then you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Miami’s most experienced sex crime attorneys.

Source: 4.12.19 Uber driver accused of sexually assaulting woman.pdf

Uber Driver Emilio Victores Accused of Sexually Assaulting Woman in North Miami Beach

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cab-hand-iphone-34239-300x200Uber driver Emilio Victores is accused of attempting to sexually assault a female passenger after she fell asleep in his vehicle.

Victores, 45, is charged with attempted sexual battery on a helpless victim. He was ordered held on $25,000 bond. The press did not name an attorney for him.

According to the arrest report, the alleged sexual battery occurred on March 17. The victim, who was on vacation from South Carolina, ordered an Uber Pool from a house in North Miami Beach to a place in Biscayne Park where she was planning to meet her friends.

Victores was allegedly her Uber driver. When he picked up three additional customers, the woman moved to the front seat to make room for them. She told police that she fell asleep during the trip and woke to find the car parked on the side of the road. She was alone with Victores and she noticed that her pants were pulled down. She also noticed that Victores’ pants were unbuttoned and his genitals exposed, according to the report.

“The victim fell asleep in the front seat and was awakened when the driver known to her as Emilio, was on top of her kissing her on the lips,” the report said, according to CBS 4 News. “The victim said that she pushed him off and yelled ‘Stop! Get off me!’ and that Emilio replied, ‘I’m sorry,’ and he complied and got off of her.”

The woman demanded that Victores drop her off at her original destination, which was 12 miles away, and he reportedly complied.

Police didn’t speak to Victores until a few weeks later when he turned himself in. He purportedly agreed to give them a DNA sample and admitted that he had stopped his vehicle on the side of the road on the night of the incident, but he said he did it to check his vehicle’s tires.

Records show that Victores has a criminal history. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2002 for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and was released in 2016. Records also show that he went to jail in the 90s on several charges, including grand theft, attempted robbery with a deadly weapon, and aggravated assault with a weapon.

During his bond hearing, the prosecutor was alarmed that someone with such a criminal history would be allowed to drive for Uber. An Uber spokesperson sent the following statement to news sources on Friday:

“What’s been described is deeply upsetting and our thoughts are with the rider during this difficult time. The driver’s access to the app was removed as soon as it was reported to us.”

Uber reportedly does background checks on all of its drivers and follows the Florida law that requires drivers for ride-sharing companies to have not been convicted of a felony for the past five years. Victores’ last conviction was in 2001.

Miami Sex Crime Attorney

If you are involved in a sex crime, then you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Miami’s most experienced sex crime attorneys.

Source: 4.12.19 Uber driver accused of sexually assaulting woman.pdf

Roger Wittenberns of West Palm Beach, Florida Arrested for Negligent Manslaughter and DUI

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Roger-Wittenberns-300x169Roger Wittenberns of West Palm Beach, Florida was arrested on Monday for allegedly causing a car crash that led to the death of Uber driver J. Gerald Smith in September last year. Wittenberns, 61, faces charges of DUI manslaughter, DUI causing injury, and vehicular homicide.

He turned himself in and was booked into Palm Beach County Jail on June 12. His bond was set at $450,000 during his first court appearance on Tuesday morning. If he bonds out of jail, he will be placed on house arrest and is not to have contact with any witnesses. The judge made an exception for his wife, Patty Ann McQuiggin, who is one of the witnesses in the case.

Wittenberns is also required to surrender his passport and driver’s license to the court, and is prohibited from driving, drinking alcohol, or having drugs without a prescription. He will be subject to random tests for drugs and alcohol.

According to the arrest report, the alleged crash occurred at NE 6th Avenue on September 21. Wittenberns and his then-girlfriend McQuiggin had reportedly spent the afternoon drinking at a restaurant in downtown Delray. The couple allegedly ordered more than a dozen alcoholic drinks.

A copy of Wittenberns’ receipt from the restaurant reportedly shows that they ordered three Cosmopolitans, three Long Island Iced Teas, and three “Goose 4oz” before they moved to the bar and ordered another “Goose 4oz,” a Long Island Iced Tea, and a vodka martini. Their server reportedly confirmed that Wittenberns drank three Long Island Iced Teas.

Roger-Wittenberns-2-300x169When they left the restaurant, Wittenberns drove a Lamborghini and McQuiggin followed in a Porsche. He drove north on NE 6th Avenue at 75 mph and crashed into a Buick Enclave driven by Smith, 82. He later told police that he was unable to stop his vehicle before he crashed into Smith’s car.

Investigators tested Wittenberns’ blood at a hospital less than an hour after the crash and his blood alcohol level was 0.15, which is almost twice the legal limit in the state. A police officer wrote in the report that Wittenberns appeared tired and had glassy eyes and slurred speech.

He purportedly told the investigators that he had “a couple of drinks” and admitted that he ordered a Long Island Iced Tea, but couldn’t recall how many he drank. He said his server might have “brought a second one.” He also reportedly said that he was taking medications that included Xanax and a blood thinner.

Wittenberns and McQuiggin got married at a courthouse in November. People at risk of criminal charges can gain certain protections through marriage. Marriage protects a wife or husband from testifying against a spouse in criminal and civil cases, even if an event occured before the marriage began. It also protects jointly-owned assets from being seized in a lawsuit.

Smith’s widow, Eloisa Smith, reportedly filed a wrongful death suit against Wittenberns that was settled in April for an undisclosed amount.

Source: 6.13.17 Wittenberns of West Palm Beach Arrested for Negligent Manslaughter and DUI.pdf

Uber Driver Gary Kitchings of West Palm Beach, Florida Arrested for Kidnapping and Sexual Battery

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Gary-Kitchings-223x300Uber driver Gary Kitchings of West Palm Beach, Florida has been arrested on Monday after he allegedly raped a passenger he picked up from a music festival on Sunday morning.

Kitchings, 57, faces multiple charges, including kidnapping and sexual battery. He was denied bond during a court hearing on Tuesday morning and ordered to have no contact with the victim. News sources did not name an attorney for Kitchings.

According to the arrest report, the alleged incident took place on Sunday morning. Kitchings picked up the victim and two other women from SunFest. After he dropped off the two other passengers, the victim told police that Kitchings started flirting with her and tried to fondle her.

Kitchings reportedly told her that he would kill her if she refused to do what he asked. He allegedly forced her to perform oral sex and then took her to her house where he raped her. The victim took a picture of his license plate as he drove away and called the police for help. Police arrested Kitchings the following day.

Kitchings is a former member of the Navy. He and his wife are house parents at an all-girls home in a West Palm Beach suburb. The home is part of the KidSanctuary Campus, a non-profit organization that provides a home for abused and abandoned children.

His employer, Place of Hope, released a statement saying Kitchings has been placed on leave pending the outcome of the investigation. Police have also informed the Florida Department of Children and Families, but investigators have not found any other victims.

Uber released a statement saying the allegations are “deeply disturbing,” and that the driver has been banned from using the app. Uber drivers must pass a series of background checks before they are approved and Kitchings has no priors.

This is the second case of an Uber driver involved in criminal activity that has been reported in South Florida this year. On February 7, Uber driver Brandi Leigh Begerow of Hialeah, Florida was arrested for allegedly stealing cash, a gun, and other valuables from a passenger’s home. Begerow, 33, faced charges for grand theft of a firearm and armed burglary. She was held without bond at Broward County Jail.

According to the arrest report, Begerow picked up Mark Taiclet, 48, from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on January 30 and drove him to his home. Surveillance video from outside Taiclet’s home shows him shaking hands with Begerow before he took out his bags from the vehicle and walked into his house. Begerow then followed him inside. She reportedly spent four hours in the home and stole several items before returning to her car and driving off.

Taiclet learned of the theft when he woke up the following day. He told police that he was drugged and robbed by an Uber driver. An email he received from Uber confirmed that the name of the driver who picked him up at the airport was Brandi Begerow. She was arrested a week later.

Source: 5.9.17 Uber Driver Gary Kitchings Arrested for Kidnapping and Raping Passenger.pdf