Who: Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Operations Bureau
Nicholas C. Belmonte (Arrested) DOB: 05/20/1937 11622 Tradewinds Boulevard, Largo Charges: Four counts of Aggravated Assault
Scott Allen Lundblad (Victim- Uninjured) DOB: 06/01/1966 2410 Tamarind Street, Charlotte, FL
Eric Brunner (Victim- Uninjured) DOB: 01/28/1983 855 Mecca Drive, Sarasota
Scott Andrew Lundblad (Victim- Uninjured) DOB: 08/27/1990 2410 Tamarind Street, Charlotte, FL
Jerome Miles (Victim- Uninjured) DOB: 06/29/1990 4007 52nd Street Court West, Bradenton
What: Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested a 79-year-old man after he pointed a laser equipped handgun at four contracted road workers in Seminole. When: The incident occurred at about 8:20 on Thursday, December 29, 2016.
Where: The incident occurred on the side of the roadway near the intersection of 109th Avenue North and County Road 296, in Seminole.
Why/How: At about 8:20 a.m. on Thursday, December 29, 2016, deputies were called to the intersection of 109th Avenue and County Road 296 in Seminole, for an armed person.
When deputies arrived, four contracted road workers employed by Traffic Control Devices Inc., informed deputies they were working on the side of the roadway when an older man in a Ford Explorer drove up to them and got out of his vehicle.
According to the victims, the man brandished a black handgun with a laser pointer and pointed the laser at the worker's heads threatening to shoot them with the gun. The workers took cover behind their vehicles and called 911. The suspect drove away in his vehicle.
Deputies say the suspect was upset because one of the contract workers verbally confronted the suspect’s wife a few minutes prior, for not picking up her dogs waste after her dog defecated in the field nearby.
Deputies canvassed the area and located the suspect, 79-year-old Nicholas Belmonte, at his residence located at 11622 Tradewinds Boulevard North, in Largo.
Deputies recovered the laser equipped .32 caliber handgun that was still in Belmonte’s possession. Belmonte admitted to the allegations claiming that he was trying to intimidate and scare the workers for upsetting his wife.
Belmonte was arrested and transported to the Pinellas County Jail without incident.
Belmonte was charged with four counts of Aggravated Assault.
The investigation continues.
Booking photo of Nicholas Belmonte.
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