UPDATE: Arrest made in road-rage attack

Manatee County Sheriff's Office deputies have made an arrest in connection with the road-rage attack this morning at Braden River Elementary School.

Sheriff's office deputies charged John Sabin, 45, with aggravated battery after he was identified as the man who attacked John D. Lee, 50, at about 7:20 a.m. Aug. 25, in the parking lot of the East County school.

Sabin turned himself in Aug. 25.

From his bed in the emergency room, Lee said Sabin pulled behind him onto northbound River Club Boulevard near Cherry Hills Avenue Circle. Sabin attempted to pass Lee several times but failed to do so. Lee was taking his 10-year-old son, Christopher, to school and said at one point, he purposely blocked Sabin's attempt to pass because he did not believe the driver could see oncoming traffic and wanted to prevent an accident.

Lee pulled into the parking lot of Braden River Elementary School with Sabin following him, he said.

"I got upset with him. He got upset with me," Lee said. "I thought at that point, I'd be off and he'd go on."

However, in the parking lot, Sabin confronted Lee, yelling from outside the car.

"He tried to pull my door open and started verbally to threaten me — (said) he was going to kill me," Lee said. "Finally, he ended up spitting on the (driver's) side window."

Lee and his son remained in their vehicle until he believed Sabin had left. However, when they exited about five minutes later, Sabin reemerged and attacked, the report states.

"I thought maybe we could talk it out, but he just (threw) me down," Lee said. "He held me down and hit me in the face. My son jumped up at that point and tried to intervene.

"To threaten my boy, to threaten me is way beyond (what I'm willing to accept)," he said.

Lee said after the suspect fled, he led Christopher inside. The two went into the bathroom, where Lee attempted to clean himself up. He then led Christopher to the cafeteria for the school's before-school program.

"I think he was OK at that point," Lee said.

Lee then made his way to the school nurse.

Lee suffered a broken rib, a separated shoulder, a partially collapsed lung and multiple contusions on his face. He was transported to Lakewood Ranch Medical Center and treated for his injuries. He was expected to be released Aug. 25.

According to Manatee County property records, both Sabin and Lee own homes on the same street in River Club.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].