Florida man upset over free pizza offer points gun at patrons, deputies say

Tomas Rodriguez, Fort Myers News-Press
·2 min read
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A man accused of pointing a loaded gun at several patrons, threatening to kill them after they were offered free pizza at a Cuban restaurant faces multiple charges.

According to his arrest report the Lee County Sheriff's Office, Cristian Andrade-Banegas, 34, of Houston, Florida, on Wednesday pointed what witnesses called a "machine gun" at several patrons eating at a Cuban restaurant in the 5600 block of Bayshore Road, in North Fort Myers.

Andrade-Banegas became upset because those accepting the pizza from the restaurant had already eaten their food, the report says.

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After the argument, Andrade-Banegas retrieved the firearm from his pickup and pointed it at six patrons as he threatened to kill them.

When deputies arrived, a patron who recorded the incident played that footage for authorities, the report says.

After they got a description of the suspect vehicle, deputies blocked off New Post Road and spoke with a security guard at the entrance to Old Bridge Village, the report indicates.

Deputies canvassed the area, eventually locating the pickup Andrade-Banegas drove and arrested him in the 5700 block of Captain John Smith Loop.

Detectives spotted an assault rifle through the pickup's windows, partly covered by a T-shirt.

When detectives further examined the firearm, they noticed it had a magazine similar to those used in assault rifles with several pellets loaded in it, an air gun scope mounted to the top and no other indicators that wouldn't make it a real firearm, the report says.

Andrade-Banegas faces six counts of aggravated assault and a $30,000 bond. He remains in custody, jail records indicate.

He's next due in court Jan. 9.

Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Free pizza leads to threats by gunman in North Fort Myers, deputies say