Man arrested after vehicle shooting

A Key West man was arrested after reports he fired a rifle at a parked vehicle.

Key West Police on Wednesday, May 15, responded to reports of an armed subject in the area of the 2200 block of Fogarty Avenue, according to a news release from police spokeswoman Alyson Crean. While en route, dispatch advised the multiple responding units that the reporting person said his vehicle had been shot at when parked in front of the residence.

They met with the victim at Liquid 8 Pawn Shop, who told officers the suspect, identified as Tyler Yates, 32, fired a rifle at him while he was in his parked vehicle, Crean said. The bullet hit the front driver’s side tire. The victim said after the Yates fired at him, he went back into his house.

The victim told police that he and Yates have been in conflict for a while.

Officers established a perimeter and Yates exited the front door of the house, where he was apprehended. The rifle was recovered, Crean said.

Detectives obtained a search warrant, and Yates was charged with two counts of aggravated assault and taken to the Monroe County Detention Center.

Yate faces two felony charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office website.

Also, a 65-year-old Marathon man was arrested Wednesday following a search warrant at a residence on the 1300 block of the Overseas Highway in which cocaine and cash were found. Another man at the residence who was buying cocaine at the time was also arrested.

Fidel Gutuerrel Gonzalez Gutierrez was charged with trafficking cocaine, sale of cocaine, and possession of drug paraphernalia in addition to two warrants for other cocaine sales cases, while Kadir Escalona Betancourt, 47, of Marathon, was charged with purchasing cocaine, according to Sheriff’s Office spokesman Adam Linhardt.

The Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Unit found approximately 1.1 ounces of cocaine and $943 in suspected drug proceeds, Linhardt said.

On Thursday, May 16, a 38-year-old Homestead was arrested after fleeing from deputies on foot following a traffic stop on U.S. 1. Another man in the vehicle, the driver, was also arrested for being habitual traffic offender, Linhardt said.

Bennie Earl Wright, the passenger, was charged with resisting arrest.

The vehicle that was stopped near Mile Marker 90 at approximately 12:52 a.m. The driver — Spencer Jay Phillips, 61, of Leisure City, Florida — was arrested and taken to jail for being a habitual offender with multiple traffic violations.

Wright refused orders during the incident and ran away. He was detained shortly thereafter after being shot with a Taser. He was also taken to jail.

On Friday, May 17, the Key West Police Department Special Investigations Unit and Special Response Team executed a search warrant at Ocean Walk Apartments on South Roosevelt Boulevard.

Detectives obtained a search warrant as the result of a narcotics investigation into apartment 310W and its residents, Crean said. Detectives and special agents found methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and heroin along with a multitude of drug packaging equipment, as well as cash consistent with street-level narcotics sales, Crean said.

Matthew Steven Bostrom, 34, was charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia, while Hunter James Greer, 29, was charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell, possession of fentanyl, possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia, and Dominick Badura, 27, was charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

All were transported to the Monroe County Detention Center.

Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation.