Sarasota deputies make arrest in viral video road rage incident

A man who authorities say was behind the wheel in a road-rage incident Sunday with a motorcyclist was identified by the Sarasota Sheriff’s Office and is in police custody.

30-year-old Magdiel Medrano-Bonilla was charged with aggravated battery in connection with an incident recorded on video that showed a car swerving to strike a motorcyclist after a traffic dispute. The video made national news.

Detectives located the vehicle in the video on Tuesday, hidden along Lime Avenue in Sarasota, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Text messages recovered from  Medrano-Bonilla’s phone show he was planning to destroy the vehicle to avoid charges, the Sheriff's Office reported.

Medrano-Bonilla is additionally charged with operating a vehicle without a license. He remains in custody at the Sarasota County Jail without bond. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are possible.

Deputies also found that Medran-Bonilla is an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador. The Sheriff’s Office is working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to determine what steps will be taken.

The motorcyclist sustained broken ribs and other injuries. He was wearing a helmet.