INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A person who got “jumped” at Riverside Café in Vero Beach later shot at three people with an AR-15 at his home south of 12th Street in south Vero Beach, according to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office.
Charles Ulrich, 26, was arrested and faces three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and shooting into an occupied dwelling, according to authorities. The incident happened in the early morning hours of April 12.
When Ulrich arrived home from Riverside Cafe, he told his girlfriend he had been jumped, according to the affidavit. Ulrich reportedly had blood all over him. At one point he went outside and was involved in a loud phone conversation. At some point two men arrived at Ulrich’s residence and an argument ensued, then gunfire started.
Ulrich’s girlfriend said he was aiming toward the vehicles at the end of her driveway when he fired an AR-15. He was yelling at the people to leave before he started shooting, she told investigators. As he was shooting, he yelled to his girlfriend to call 911.
The gun was just inside the front door prior to the shooting according to Ulrich’s girlfriend.
One of the victims said he was at Riverside Café with Ulrich when Ulrich was involved in an altercation with another person. The victim intervened to stop a fight, and once the disturbance was broken up, the victim went back inside, but left his phone on the deck where the disturbance occurred.
Ulrich attempted to “go” at the victim who broke up the fight and Ulrich was thrown out by the bouncers, according to authorities. The victim said Ulrich was mad because he broke up the fight.
Riverside Cafe security personnel told the victim that Ulrich was in a fight in the parking lot and pulled out an AR-15, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The victim, when he was leaving, noticed that his cell phone was missing, according to the report. He then called his phone and Ulrich answered. The victim asked for his phone back and Ulrich told him, “you let me get jumped” and “you’re dead to me.” The victim then told Ulrich he was going to get his phone.
“AR-15 is loaded for you,” and “you’re gonna die mother f****r,” said Ulrich. The victim repeated this to Vero Beach Police. Police told him not to go to Ulrich’s house or to call the Sheriff’s Office if he did go over there.
The victim was driven to Ulrich’s house in the 600 block of 11th Place, Vero Beach, according to authorities. After arriving, he told the others in the car to stay there as he exited the vehicle and went up to Ulrich’s house alone. He then went up and knocked on the door and asked where his phone was while the door was still closed.
Ulrich opened the door with the AR-15 pointed at him, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Two rounds were fired that went by the victim’s head as soon as the door was opened. The victim then went to the ground and started yelling at Ulrich, “chill, chill,” as Ulrich was pointing the gun in his face. He then yelled to someone to video it.
“You want to jump me?” asked Ulrich as he turned to the others in the cars, according to authorities. Ulrich then started firing at those people, according to witness statements. Ulrich then put the gun in the face of the victim lying on the ground. The victim then asked for his phone again and he would leave. Ulrich then fired four or five rounds.
One of the people in the cars ran from the road toward them in an attempt to draw Ulrich’s attention away from the victim on the ground, according to the report. That person was afraid Ulrich was going to shoot the person on the ground. Ulrich then pointed the gun at the second victim running toward them and started shooting.
Bullet holes were located in the side of a residence located in the side of Angel Care of Vero Beach, 1137 of 7th Ave., found by Crime Scene Detective David Rodriguez. An employee told authorities that none of the seven patients living there were shot. One bullet went through a concrete block and entered the residence. The other bullets entered the concrete block, but did not penetrate the residence. Two other bullets entered through the window.
Fourteen shell casings and one live round leading from the carport of Ulrich’s house to three-fourths down the driveway were found, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
When Ulrich was interviewed he said he broke up the fight when the first victim claimed Ulrich was the one in the fight. When Ulrich went out to his vehicle he was approached by several males and that is when he pulled out his AR-15. He pointed it at the ground and told them to leave. After putting it back in his vehicle he was “sucker punched.”
Ulrich said that when the victim came to his door he was fumbling with the AR-15, trying to get the magazine in the gun when it fell and went off, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Ulrich also said in the interview that another victim was charging at his girlfriend, threatening to hit her. He said he did not aim at anyone specifically.
Ulrich said he had the right to defend himself and he did not want to get jumped.
