Guard arrested for firing 13 shots into air to break up Broward bowling brawl, cops say

Police say she told them she ‘didn’t know what else to do’

Jhajaira Mora Peralta (BSO)

DAVIE, Fla. – Police arrested a security guard early Monday morning after they said she fired more than a dozen gunshots into the air in an attempt to break up a fight at a Davie bowling alley.

Jhajaira Elizabeth Mora Peralta, 47, of Plantation, was working as a security guard at SpareZ, located at 5325 S. University Drive, at the time of the incident, according to police.

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A Davie Police Department arrest report lists her employer as EMS Protective Group, a security company headquartered just north of the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport.

According to the report, the brawl broke out just before 12:30 a.m. Police said Mora Peralta drew her black Glock 19 and fired roughly 13 shots into the air in an attempt to break it up, causing at least one family to hide in fear.

Police said Mora Peralta told investigators that as she and other security guards went outside to separate the parties, she saw a man being attacked.

She said she drew her gun and fired in fear that the man would be “severely harmed,” claiming she “didn’t know what else to do” to stop it, the report states.

Mora Peralta “was adamant that she didn’t point her handgun at anyone because she knew she ‘couldn’t do that,’” police wrote. The report states that after firing her gun, she began yelling that she was calling the police.

Officers arrested Mora Peralta on charges of aggravated assault with a firearm, improper exhibition of a firearm and discharging a firearm in public. Jail records show she was set to be released Tuesday afternoon on a $17,500 bond.

Local 10 News left a message for EMS Protective Group seeking comment Tuesday.


About the Author

Chris Gothner joined the Local 10 News team in 2022 as a Digital Journalist.

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