Florida man follows, pulls gun on driver at intersection: police

The Brief

• A man was arrested over the weekend after he allegedly pointed a gun at a driver at a Clermont, Florida, intersection.

• Robert Bloebaum faces a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

CLERMONT, Fla. – A Florida man was taken to jail after he allegedly pulled out a gun on a driver at a Clermont intersection on Sunday morning.

Road rage investigation

The backstory

On Feb. 2, at around 8:37 a.m., Clermont police officers responded to the victim’s home for a report of a road rage incident.

The victim said he left his residence around 8 a.m. to go to an auto parts store.

When he approached the intersection of North Ridge Boulevard and Grand Highway, he said a silver Toyota 4Runner pulled out in front of his vehicle and was driving well under the speed limit.

The victim said he drove around the Toyota, at which point the driver began “aggressively” following him “too closely,” according to the arrest report.

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The victim then sped up to create distance and stated it appeared “the driver was trying to play chicken with him.”

At the intersection of Shady Nook and East Desoto Street, both the victim and the Toyota driver got out of their vehicles.

The victim told law enforcement he was going to ask the driver why he was following him and why he almost struck his vehicle, but that’s when the suspect pointed a gun at him and told him to leave, authorities said.

The victim left, and continued to the auto parts store. After shopping inside the store, the victim noticed the Toyota was in the parking lot just a few spots from his vehicle.

The suspect reportedly continued to follow the victim in his vehicle, but the victim eventually sped off, losing sight of the vehicle. He went home and reported the incident.

Who is Robert Bloebaum?

What we know

Robert Bloebaum, 47, of Clermont, was identified as the suspect and was found driving the same vehicle the victim described to law enforcement. Police also found a loaded 9mm handgun on him.

The other side

Bloebaum told police he had slowed down for Sandhill cranes crossing the road when the victim’s car drove past him. He admitted to following the victim and believed they were “playing chicken,” according to the arrest report.

Bloebaum claimed the two got out of their vehicles at an intersection but denied pointing a gun at the victim, officials said.

Regarding his Toyota being parked outside the auto parts store, Bloebaum said it was merely a coincidence, as he is a “frequent customer” there, the report stated.

He was arrested on a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was booked into the Lake County jail but was released after posting bail.

A criminal history search revealed no prior assault or battery arrests for him in the past six months, investigators said.

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The Source

This story was written based on information shared by the Clermont Police Department.