An ongoing workplace dispute escalated into a charge of attempted murder for an employee accused of using his car to try to run down a co-worker and then threatening to “shoot up” the Pompano Beach business where they worked.
On Feb. 14, a worker at Great Vacations of Florida, a firm that works on promotional events for the travel industry, told supervisors that Rolando N. Sagaro, 28, had been insulting him and threatening to fight, a Broward Sheriff’s Office arrest report said.
At the time, a manager stepped in to calm things down.
The next evening, however, Sagaro, of Miami, challenged the co-worker again and the two fought in the parking lot of the business.
The manager broke up the fight, but Sagaro got in his Chrysler 300 and drove toward them, the report stated.
The two managed to jump out of the way and Sagaro got out of the car and started to fight again, but the manager intervened until the co-worker could drive away in his own car, investigators said.
According to the arrest report, detectives were told that Sagaro said, “I’m going to come back with my AK-47 and shoot up everyone,” before getting back into his Chrysler, following his co-worker and trying to run him off the road.
Deputies spotted Sagaro’s car on Gateway Drive in Pompano Beach on Feb. 16, but he refused repeated orders to get out of the car and sped away, investigators said. Moments later, Sagaro called his manager and said, “You tried to set me up with the cops but you failed,” according to a detective who heard the exchange.
Sagaro was ultimately arrested and booked into jail Feb. 20 on charges of attempted murder and fleeing and eluding law enforcement. He’s being held without bond for violating probation on earlier, unrelated charges.
A representative of Great Vacations of Florida confirmed on Tuesday that Sagaro no longer works for the business.
wkroustan@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4303 or Twitter @WayneRoustan