Broward homeowner fires three shots at grocery delivery driver who pulled into the wrong driveway

SOUTHWEST RANCHES — A Southwest Ranches homeowner fired three shots at an unarmed teenager who pulled into the wrong driveway while trying to deliver groceries.

Antonio Caccavale, 43, told police that he fired at the driver of a gray Honda Civic that ran over his right foot while trespassing on his property on April 15. The Honda driver, Waldes Thomas, 19, accused the homeowner of being the aggressor, pulling a gun on him when all he wanted to do was deliver groceries to a nearby address.

Davie police investigators could not determine whether either man committed a crime, but they didn’t share their findings with prosecutors, who learned about the incident six days later from news reporters seeking a comment.

[ RELATED: Parkland families warn against concealed carry law ]

“I want to be clear that police have not yet sent their reports and findings to my office,” said Broward State Attorney Harold Pryor, calling the incident “very disturbing.”

“Once the police investigation is completed and forwarded to my office, prosecutors will conduct a thorough review of all of the facts presented, the evidence, and the applicable law. Prosecutors will then make a decision about whether criminal charges should be filed,” he said.

The statement was an unusual one because the communication between police and the prosecutor’s office is routine, even in cases where charges are not filed.

Shootings targeting people who ring the wrong doorbell or pull into the wrong driveway have received increased attention in recent weeks, although they do not reflect a new phenomenon. Some of the most recent:

• A Black teenager was shot in the head and arm on April 13 by a Kansas City, Missouri, homeowner after the 16-year-old went to the wrong address looking for his brothers, according to police.
• A 20-year-old woman was shot and killed on April 15 in rural upstate New York. Officials said she was in a car with a group of four who were looking for a friend’s house when they drove their car up the wrong driveway.
• Two cheerleaders were shot on April 18 in Texas; authorities said the girls mistakenly got into the wrong car in a parking lot after practice. One of the girls was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

[ RELATED: DeSantis signs permitless carry law ]

The Davie Police Department did not comment on the Southwest Ranches case or the State Attorney’s statement, but did release its initial findings. According to the reports, Caccavale was with his two children, ages 13 and 12, at their home on Southwest 178th Avenue at 9 p.m. on April 15 when a Honda Civic pulled onto his property.

At first he sent his 12-year-old son out to order the driver to leave, but Caccavale came out himself when he heard his son calling for help. The driver drove into logs, boulders and fence posts on the property, Caccavale told police. He said he dived out of the vehicle’s way and that it ran over his right foot. Fearing for his son’s safety, he pulled out his 9mm Smith & Wesson and fired three shots at the car, which sped off.

A neighbor witnessed part of the incident, according to the report. Daniel Orta told police he was waiting for his groceries to be delivered when the driver called his home to say he was having trouble locating the house. Orta said he saw the erratic driving and heard the three gunshots. “Daniel … ran to Antonio’s property and informed him that vehicle was attempting to deliver him groceries,” according to the police report filed by Davie Police Det. Patrick Di Cintio.

Thomas corroborated what Caccavale said up to the point of the son telling him and his co-worker, Diamond Darville, 18, to leave. “When they attempted to reverse out of the area, they struck a boulder,” according to Di Cintio’s report. “That’s when Antonio approached them aggressively and began grabbing onto the driver door window.”

Darville told police she saw Caccavale pull the gun out before the shooting; Thomas said he did not see the weapon. The shots struck the car’s rear bumper “toward the passenger side.”

The reports released by Davie police include no information on the injuries suffered by Caccavale.

“Each party appear justified in their actions based on the circumstances they perceived,” Di Cintio wrote.

Caccavale pleaded guilty in 2011 to one count of criminal mischief and no contest to one count of battery. Information about those cases was not available.

Thomas has no criminal history.

Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com, 954-356-4457 or on Twitter @rolmeda