Isaac Vasquez is facing charges of discharging a firearm in public and two misdemeanor charges of drug paraphernalia possession. Lee County Sheriff’s Office photo
Isaac Vasquez, a 28-year-old Cape Coral man, is facing charges of discharging a firearm in public and misdemeanor drug paraphernalia possession charges after he was arrested by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office on Fishermans Wharf on Fort Myers Beach earlier this month.
A Lee County deputy responded to the commercial waterfront section of San Carlos Island in the late evening of March 15 after a report of gunshots fired in the area.
Deputies quickly located Vasquez, who was standing next to his 2004 Hyundai, according to an incident report.
From the passenger side window, deputies said they could see a black AR-15-style rifle in the back seat. Vasquez was detained while deputies investigated the incident and conducted a canvass of the area. While looking through the driver’s side window of the vehicle, deputies said they saw a white, powdery substance which tested positive for cocaine. That led to deputies to conduct a probably cause search of the vehicle, which led them to finding a pipe, and a dollar bill with a white powdery substance, that they say also tested positive for cocaine.
In the back seat, deputies said they located a black ABC rifle company .308 rifle.
At the end of the fishing pier, deputies reported locating two .308 shell casings. At the time of retrieving this rifle, a shell casing was located in the ejection port consistent with a misfire, authorities said.
The rifle is of the same caliber as the shell casings located on the fishing pier, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said in the incident report.
According to a witness who allegedly told deputies he was with Vasquez on the fishing pier for most of the day, Vasquez had been consuming alcoholic beverages for most of the day to the point of becoming intoxicated. At one point, Vasquez allegedly dropped his phone into the water, according to the witness. The witness allegedly told deputies that Vasquez was angry about dropping the phone into the water, and then retrieved the rifle from his vehicle and fired three shots either into the air or the water.
Vasquez was remanded to Lee County Jail and pleaded not guilty in court to the misdemeanor drug paraphernalia charges. He was bonded out on March 17 after posting $3,500 bond. According to Lee County Court records, the public discharge of the firearm case was filed on March 15 and was opened on March 24. A summons was issued on March 24 for Vasquez to face the firearm discharge case.
He is due back in court on May 13 for the drug paraphernalia charge.