PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A 59-year-old man is in custody after he shot a tow truck driver numerous times Thursday afternoon, Port St. Lucie police said.
The shooting happened at around 12:20 p.m. at a home on the 2000 block of Southwest Villanova Road.
Police said Triston Hastings, 28, of Stuart, was at the home to repossess a car, when the car's owner, Omar Sueque, confronted the man and fired several shots, wounding him.
The confrontation was captured on cellphone video with a man who could be heard yelling, "Hey, get out, this is private property," and "I have cameras here," and a man throwing a punch at the driver.
Police responded to the shooting and detained Sueque without incident.
"We frequently respond to disputes involving repossessed vehicles," Port St. Lucie Police Assistant Chief Leo Niemczyk said. "When people are losing their property, sometimes they react emotionally and that's why it's a dangerous job."
Hastings was airlifted to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital, where he is expected to survive.
PSLPD Investigating a Shooting
— Port St. Lucie PD (@PSLPolice) January 25, 2024
Around 12:20 pm today, PSLPD responded to the 2000 block of SW Villanova Rd. For a shooting.
Preliminary investigation revealed that an adult male victim was at a home to repossess a motor vehicle. The vehicle owner confronted the adult male and… pic.twitter.com/DMWLZC4o4b
Sueque, 59, faces one count of attempted homicide and one count of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
