POMPANO BEACH, Fla. – A South Florida man is facing two felony charges after authorities said he pointed a gun at two parents during a road rage incident as they drove their 4-year-old son in Pompano Beach back in May.
Joseph Maher, 32, of Boynton Beach, was booked into the Broward Sheriff’s Office Main Jail on Monday, online records show. He’s facing two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
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According to court documents, the incident happened on May 23 in the 1200 block of West Atlantic Boulevard.
A BSO report states that the victims told investigators that Maher, driving a rented Chrysler Pacifica, was angry after the victim driving tried to merge in front of him in a construction zone.
“As they came to a complete stop at the traffic light, (redacted) looked over to Maher and saw him pointing a black firearm at her and (redacted),” deputies wrote, with the victim saying it placed her in fear for her life.
Authorities said Maher began “waving” the firearm as he drove west on Atlantic Boulevard and onto the highway.
The report states that the victims took a photo of the rented minivan’s license plate and investigators were able to tie it to Maher. They said they determined he is an armed, high-risk security officer at a Fort Lauderdale hotel.
Deputies wrote that they went to Maher’s apartment, went in with the permission of his fiancee and noticed tactical gear and a holstered gun in the home. The report states that deputies asked to speak with Maher.
Authorities said Maher came out and told deputies he didn’t give them permission to enter. When deputies stepped out, they said Maher claimed to not know why investigators were at his home and declined to speak with them without an attorney after they told him they wanted to get “his side of the story.”
Maher remained jailed on a $30,000 bond as of Tuesday morning.