INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The name of a man who admitted to fatally shooting another man in a road rage incident last week was released by the Sheriff’s Office. His girlfriend’s name also was released.
Deputies identified the shooter as Timothy Daniel Sartori, 29, and his girlfriend as Melissa Antler, 27, both of Sebastian. Antler was a passenger in Sartori’s vehicle at the time of the shooting, said Sheriff’s spokesman Lt. Thom Raulen.
Sartori is the president of Timothy Sartori Parachute Services, Inc, according to Sunbiz.org. Neither he nor his family were immediately available for comment.
Sartori and Antler were released after being questioned for hours by detectives after the Nov. 16 shooting that claimed the life of Dennis Hicks, 38, of Vero Beach.
No charges have been filed in the case.
Raulen said deputies haven’t made a determination whether any arrests will be made and that the case is still an active investigation. He also said a third motorist was involved in an altercation with Hicks before the fatal shooting.
Hicks, Sartori and the third unidentified motorist were traveling on Kings Highway when there was a “confrontation” between Hicks and the unidentified motorist, Raulen said. Hicks honked his horn at the motorist; further details on what started the altercation were not available.
Raulen said Hicks, Sartori and the third motorist turned left onto State Road 60 and headed east, which is where the altercation between Hicks and Sartori began. Deputies are asking for the public’s in help in identifying the third motorist.
A man is dead after a possible road rage shooting at the State Road 60 and 53rd Ave intersection in IRC, deputies said. One person is in custody. Stay tuned.
Posted by Nick Samuel on Thursday, November 16, 2017
In a 911 call, Sartori said Hicks threatened him when they both were stopped at a traffic signal at State Road 60 and 53rd Avenue.
Sartori told dispatchers that Hicks said, “I’m going to put a bullet in your ass,” and then “reached for something.” “I had my gun and opened fire on him,” Sartori told dispatchers.
Deputies searched Hicks’ and Sartori’s vehicles the day after the shooting, but details on the findings have not been released.
The family of Hicks disputed what Sartori said in the 911 call and asked for deputies to arrest Sartori. Hicks’ mother Vera Thomason said the family needs closure.
“Other than the first night, there have been no detectives here (at the house). They’ve told me nothing,” Thomason said. “We call and call and now they’re telling us to stop calling so much. How do you not want to know what happened to your baby.”
The family has created a GoFundMe fundraising page to help raise money toward Hicks’ funeral expenses; the page has a $2,500 goal. Funeral services for Hicks will be private, his family said.
Traffic Offenses
Court records show both Hicks and Sartori faced multiple traffic offenses. Hicks was given citations for speeding and driving a vehicle with a suspended license.
Court records show Sartori faced traffic citations for reckless driving and driving in the wrong direction on a one-way road.
