A Bradenton man is facing charges of Aggravated Battery on a Person over 65 & Carjacking with a Weapon after using wine glasses as a weapon in an attempted carjacking.
Just before 5:30 p.m. Monday, Sarasota Police officers responded to the 1400 block of 1st Street, Sarasota, for a battery with injuries. A caller told dispatchers that Gavin Pearce, 30, grabbed two wine glasses from a table at a nearby restaurant, broke the glasses on the ground, walked up to a parked car, jumped in, and began attacking a 74-year-old man who was in the driver's seat.
The caller said Pearce jumped out of the car and rode off on a bicycle. When Sarasota Police officers arrived on the scene, they found the victim sitting in a chair on a sidewalk and being cared for by some bystanders.
The victim told officers he believed Pearce was attempting to steal his car. The victim threw his key fob out of the car so Pearce would not be able to take it. The victim chose to drive himself to Sarasota Memorial Hospital for further treatment.
Sarasota Police officers found Pearce a short time later near the intersection of 5th Street and North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota.
Pearce was transported to the Sarasota County Jail without incident. He faces two felony charges including Aggravated Battery on a Person over 65 and Carjacking with a Weapon.
