Gulfport Road Rage Stabbing Victim Identified

GULFPORT, FL — The Gulfport Police Department has identified the man who was stabbed following a road rage incident on 58th Street South Tuesday afternoon.

According to police, Leonel A. Garcia, 52, is recovering from the incident at a local hospital. He is reportedly in stable condition.

The incident that led to Garcia’s injury began to unfold on 58th Street Tuesday afternoon when one vehicle reportedly cut off another in traffic. Both motorists involved pulled into the parking lot of a convenience store at 1422 58th St. S. just before 2:45 p.m.

The other man, identified as John Reynolds, 23, walked into the store and got into a verbal confrontation with Garcia, an email from the police department said.

“As the victim tried to pay for his purchase, Reynolds stepped into his path and taunted him,” the email said.

Police said the taunting let to “a tussle outside, and seconds later Reynolds produced a knife and stabbed the
victim twice in the torso.”

Reynolds, the email said, walked away but returned at least two times to taunt the 52-year-old victim before returning to his truck, pumping his gas and driving away.

Witnesses gave police a description of Reynolds’ truck. It was found about two hours later parked under a tree on 13th Avenue South and Gray Street. Police say they found Reynolds at his nearby home and discovered a folding knife in his possession at the time.

Reynolds was booked into the Pinellas County Jail on aggravated battery charges Tuesday. He was being held Wednesday in lieu of $20,000 bond, jail records indicate.

Booking photo of John Reynolds courtesy of the Pinellas County Jail

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