POMPANO BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida father said he rushed to his children in Tamarac after they told him they were being harassed by an intoxicated man with a gun near their charter school.
Seventy-four-year-old Robert William Engles is accused of harassing two children near Renaissance Charter School in Tamarac before chasing them down, at around 3 p.m., Tuesday.
Speaking with 7News on Wednesday, Garfield Niles said he was going to pick up his children, ages 12 and 13, from school when he received a frantic phone call from his son minutes after classes let out for the day.
“He’s like, ‘There’s a guy out here with a gun,'” he said. “As a parent, I was just in complete fear.”
His son, Giovanni Niles, said he and his brother had walked to a bowling alley near the school, a pick-up area for parents, and that’s where they encountered Engles.
Niles said he took out his cellphone and began recording the stranger.
Engles did not appear to like being recorded on video. He is seen shouting at the children and raising his T-shirt to reveal a gun in his waistband.
“You know what this is? I’ll shoot you,” he said.
“Yeah, I was scared,” said Giovanni.
As the students ran away, they said, Engles ran to his car.
Meanwhile, a witness called police.
“I got some kids, went over to the bowling alley after school dismissal, saying that there’s a guy with a gun chasing them around at the bowling alley with a red – I guess a red car,” the witness told the 911 dispatcher.
Garfield Niles said he arrived at the bowling alley and followed the gunman in his car once his children got into Niles’ car. He said he stuck around until authorities responded.
When Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived, Niles said, Engles put his car in reverse.
“The guy actually got out of his car and had his car in reverse, and the car ran over his foot,” he said.
Engles ran over his own foot and had to be taken to the hospital.
Engles was arrested and faces two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The suspect was seen using a walker when he appeared in bond court, Wednesday morning. He seemed eager to explain himself.
“I have a permit. I had the gun,” he said.
His attorney then interrupted him.
“Mr. Engles, please do not. This is not the time,” said the attorney.
His bond was set at $10,000.
“I thank God they got there and got him off the street, because this is a person, he should never get out of jail for something like this,” said Niles.
“Still a little bit scared, not gonna lie,” said Giovanni.
According to Engles’ attorney, he has no prior arrests. He has since bonded out of jail.
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