Repo driver sustains six gunshot wounds in encounter at residence in Port St. Lucie
PORT ST. LUCIE — A tow truck driver was punched and sustained six gunshot wounds during a confrontation with the owner of a vehicle the tow driver was trying to repossess.
The details of the 12:25 p.m. Thursday incident at a home in the 2000 block of Southwest Villanova Road were revealed in the arrest affidavit of accused gunman Omar Sueque, 59, who was jailed on single counts each of attempted murder and battery and four counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
The driver of the truck, whose wounds are not life threatening, was taken to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce. Port St. Lucie Police investigators spoke to the man, who had four bullets in his body, records show.
He said his employer got the repo paperwork that morning, and he saw the vehicle to be repossessed in the driveway. The vehicle was a 2022 Nissan Rogue, Sgt. Dominick Mesiti, police spokesperson, said Friday.
The tow driver said he started to back his truck into the driveway to get the vehicle. A man exited the garage, standing between the two vehicles.
The man punched the tow driver in the face, before the tow driver got out and ran toward him, the tow driver told police. The driver returned to his truck.
“The next thing he knew was he saw the male with a black handgun and (he) was on the driver’s side of his repo truck,” an affidavit states.
The tow driver ducked as he put the vehicle in drive to proceed away.
“He heard several shots and felt a sharp pain,” the affidavit states.
Police determined Sueque fired seven times from a 9mm handgun from within 6 feet toward the truck’s closed driver’s side window. Several apparent bullet holes were evident as a red truck was hauled from the scene Thursday afternoon.
Sueque, whose listed address is in the 2000 block of Southwest Villanova Road, told investigators he saw a truck backing in his driveway.
“He knew it was a repo truck because he is behind on the vehicle’s payments,” the affidavit states.
Video obtained by police depicted a man identified as Sueque yelling, “get out, this is private property,” and, “I have a camera here” a number of times. Sueque stood between the vehicles, and the tow truck stopped within 4 feet of Sueque. Sueque appeared to punch the driver in the face, and the repo driver appeared to “respond in anger.”
Sueque told police he didn’t know what the driver was going to do so he got his firearm from his vehicle’s center console, and went toward the repo truck.
“He starts firing his handgun until it is empty at the driver’s side window of the truck,” the affidavit states.
Sueque said the driver’s door was closed and the window was up.
Sueque was held Friday in the St. Lucie County Jail, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office.
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Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Repossession incident leads to gunfire, arrest in Port St. Lucie
