MIRAMAR, FLA. (WSVN) - A bizarre case of road rage involving a Miramar Police officer and the father of her children was caught on camera.
According to Miramar Police, the officer was driving down Interstate 75 when the driver, Roberto Zaldivar, who was in a light colored Nissan cut right in front of the cruiser and hit the brakes just before the Miramar Parkway exit, at around 3 p.m., Saturday.
Florida Highway Patrol investigated the incident and said this began in a home as a domestic dispute involving Zaldivar and Miramar Police officer Ashley Abreu.
“There was an incident that occurred at the residence of the police officer and later on translated onto the highway,” said an FHP Lt. Alvaro Feola. “There’s a good thing that there’s video, dashcams, not only in police cruisers, but also on people that are driving in the highways because that is actually a tool for law enforcement to investigate.”
Austin Conley said he could not believe his eyes when he saw the confrontation between the vehicles.
“Yeah, I just saw someone run into a Miramar Police car,” he is heard saying in the video.
Conley’s dashcam video rolled as the Nissan cut across three busy lanes of highway traffic, got in front of the cruiser and slammed on the brakes.
“[The driver of the Nissan] forced the police car from the very right-hand lane. They were probably 100 yards ahead of me when this happened, and I didn’t realize what was going on,” said Conley. “The person was trying to send the person in the police car a message. That’s basically what I got out of it, you know, to the detriment of everybody else around him.”
The footage showed the officer trying to change lanes, but the Nissan moved right along with him, continuing to block the squad car. At one point in the video, the cruiser and the Nissan appeared to pull over on the shoulder of the roadway.
The Miramar Police Department released a statement on the incident:
“Police officers are not immune to being victims of domestic abuse. The Miramar Police Department has offered victim services to this employee and will continue to support all victims of crime.”
The officer never turned on her flashing lights.
Seconds later, the law enforcer could be seen speeding off. The cruiser sustained some minor damage, but the officer was not hurt.
FHP said Zaldivar has since been arrested and charged with domestic battery by strangulation on a law enforcement officer and burglary with assault.
Zaldivar’s bond was set at $20,000, and he was ordered not to have contact with the officer once he’s released.
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