Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Robert Charles Reno III, 34, of Newberry, was arrested yesterday for allegedly pointing a gun at two teens on I-75.

At about 12:04 p.m. on September 7, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to the 388 mile marker on southbound I-75 (about two miles south of the NW 39th Avenue exit), where the victims, a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old from High Springs, said a man had pointed a handgun at them while driving next to them.

The deputy’s investigation found that both vehicles were traveling southbound in the left lane when the driver of the victims’ car his his brakes, causing Reno to have to hit his brakes to prevent a crash. Reno then drove into the center lane, pulled up next to the victims’ car, and allegedly pointed a handgun at the victims. The driver of the victims’ car reportedly drove away from Reno’s car because he believed Reno would shoot them.

Post Miranda, Reno reportedly said at first that there was no gun in his vehicle, then he said there was a shotgun but no handgun, then he said there was a handgun in the vehicle, but it was buried, and there was no way for him to access it while driving. He reportedly provided consent for a search of his vehicle, and the search reportedly produced a handgun that was magnetically attached under the steering wheel of the vehicle. When the deputy asked how the victims had seen the gun, Reno reportedly said he “picked it up,” and when the deputy asked him to clarify that, he reportedly raised his arm above chest height and moved it to the left, matching what the victims reported.

When the deputy asked why he had done that, Reno reportedly said he was “pissed off” because the driver hit his brakes and the passenger was hanging out the window. He said they could have caused an accident by making him slow down from 75-80 mph to 55-60 mph. He said the victims did not threaten him at any time.

Reno has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He has no criminal history, and Judge Susan Miller-Jones ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold him without bail until trial; if the judge denies the motion, bail will be set at that hearing.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.