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The situation allegedly unfolded on April 15 as driver Waldes Thomas Jr. and his passenger tried to deliver groceries, and they incorrectly stopped at Antonio Caccavale’s home.
Police in South Florida decided not to press charges against a man who fired at a car driven by a groceries delivery person who ended up at the wrong address.
According to NBC News, authorities in Davie said they would not lodge charges against Antonio Caccavale because they believed the 43-year-old’s actions were motivated by fear.
Waldes Thomas Jr., the Instacart driver who allegedly struck Caccavale’s foot and a boulder with his vehicle, will also not face charges after reacting, per officials’ assessment of the danger.
Investigators claimed they had no video of the incident and had to rely on each side’s accounts, which had differing timelines and facts.
Detective Patrick Di Cintio noted in a supplement to the police report on the incident, “Each party appear justified in their actions based on the circumstances they perceived,” NBC cited.
According to reports, the situation unfolded on Saturday, April 15, 2023, in Davie, which is located about 26 miles north of Miami, as Thomas and his passenger, girlfriend Diamond Harley D’arville, attempted to deliver groceries. They were on the phone with the customer’s wife to ask for directions.
The complaint alleges Caccavale’s son walked out at his father’s request to instruct the two people in the car to keep off the land when their Honda Civic parked on Caccavale’s property, which is next door to the home of intended Instacart customer Daniel Orta.
It’s unclear what transpired next or in what order, but the driver and his friend claimed that Caccavale aggressively pursued them, causing them to leave quickly. According to the report, Thomas and D’arville alleged that Caccavale grabbed or otherwise attached himself to the moving car.
The Civic allegedly injured Caccavale’s foot, and he opened fire to protect his family from the car and prevent further injuries.
According to the report, Caccavale claimed he attempted to neutralize the car as a threat by aiming his semiautomatic Smith & Wesson revolver at its tires.
“He stated that he shot out three rounds at the vehicle after the vehicle struck him,” the police report stated, NBC reported. “He stated he fired his gun at the vehicle because he was in fear for his and his children’s safety.”
The Civic left the property, and police discovered it a few blocks away stopped on train tracks, with a flat tire and signs of round hits.
Authorities said Thomas and D’arville were visibly disturbed but otherwise unharmed. The two said they didn’t hear gunfire until they tried to leave because of what they perceived as aggressive behavior from neighbor Caccavale.
Instacart claimed in a statement that it contacted Thomas and will assist investigators upon request.
“The safety of the entire Instacart community is incredibly important to us,” the company said, according to NBC, “and we take immediate action when we receive reports of violence or threats of violence made against any member of the Instacart community.”
In Kansas City, Missouri, on April 13, Black teenager Ralph Yarl was shot after he mistakenly rang the doorbell at a house with a similar address to where he was supposed to pick up his siblings.
Since then, there has reportedly been an increase in gunfire incidents over wrong locations, roads and automobiles.
“We were there for Instacart, we were trying to tell him, and he went about it the wrong way,” Thomas said, HuffPost reported. “Instead of just calling police, saying I have trespassers on my lawn, he decided to shoot.”
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