WEST VERO CORRIDOR — An ongoing feud between neighbors ended with a man firing at a Toyota Corolla with four people inside, nearly striking one of the occupants. Deputies said Anthony David McDaniel shot at a man who was standing behind the rear right passenger door.
The bullet struck the door and deflected into the area above the back right tire, reports show. No one inside the vehicle was hit from the gunfire, deputies said.
McDaniel told the individuals “Next time I’m going to peel your cap back,” reports show.
McDaniel told deputies he thought his home was being burglarized. Capt. Joe Abollo, a spokesperson for the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, said there were no signs McDaniel’s home was burglarized.
“It appears to be an ongoing neighbor dispute,” Abollo said. Abollo also said the four people in the Toyota were not found to be in possession of burglary tools.
McDaniel was arrested Thursday on charges of attempted murder, firing a missile into a vehicle, and four counts of aggravated assault. McDaniel was held Friday at the Indian River County Jail on a $175,000 bond.
The incident happened Wednesday at the Lakewood Village mobile home park in the 1400 block of 90th Avenue in the West Vero Corridor. The driver told deputies he was parked in front of his residence when McDaniel approached the passenger side of the vehicle.
McDaniel accused the driver and passengers of trying to burglarize his home, reports show. The driver said McDaniel walked back to his home.
The father of the driver got out of the vehicle to check the locks on his son’s residence. Then, McDaniel pulled out a silver handgun from the front of his waistband and shot at the father, reports show.
The father told deputies McDaniel then walked up to him and pointed the firearm in his face. McDaniel yelled at the father then walked back to his home, reports show.
Deputies said they found a single bullet hole in the rear passenger door. Investigators then spoke with McDaniel, who detailed his version of events leading up to the gunfire.
McDaniel said he saw two of the vehicle occupants searching for something in front of his residence earlier that day, reports show. Deputies said McDaniel briefly left the residence and overheard someone say “they’re not there right now, let’s just do it,” through his home surveillance footage.
McDaniel told deputies his mother-in-law went to his home and got into an argument with the driver of the Toyota. McDaniel then went back to the home and confronted the people in the Toyota.
McDaniel was arrested and booked into the county jail. McDaniel has an arraignment at 8:45 a.m. April 24, court records show.
