A seemingly minor dispute over a wrong order at a McDonald’s in Vero Beach escalated into a serious criminal matter Monday night, culminating in the arrest of a man with a laser pointer.
Duran Gilbert, described as a white male with dirty blonde hair, is now facing charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly brandishing a firearm at a McDonald’s manager.
According to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred at approximately 11:45 PM at the McDonald’s located at 9495 108th Avenue, near Fellsmere and Interstate 95.
The manager told police that Gilbert, 35, became argumentative in the drive-thru after claiming his order was incorrect. The store attempted to rectify the situation by offering Gilbert additional food instead of a refund, but he insisted on a refund.
While the manager was processing the refund, Gilbert continued to argue with another employee. When the manager returned to the drive-thru window to issue the refund, Gilbert allegedly began banging on the window and yelling at employees. The manager stated that Gilbert then pulled out a firearm with a green laser attached, pointing it at her and swaying it from side to side. However, other employees did not witness the firearm.
The Real-Time Crime Center at the sheriff’s office aided in the investigation, identifying a red 2014 Hyundai SUV as a possible suspect vehicle based on the manager’s description. Deputies located the vehicle at the registered owner’s address on 100th Avenue, where they made contact with Gilbert.
Both the manager and another employee positively identified Gilbert as the individual involved in the incident. Gilbert was then taken into custody but declined to speak with investigators. He spontaneously stated that he was present at the McDonald’s and involved in the verbal disturbance.
A search warrant was obtained and executed on Gilbert’s vehicle. While no firearm was found, a large green laser pointer was recovered from the center console, according to the sheriff’s office.
Gilbert was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and transported to the Indian River County Jail, where bond was set at $50,000.
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