PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — A Halloween night turned terrifying for two families in Punta Gorda after Florida Highway Patrol said a driver hit them while they were out trick-or-treating near Sandhill Boulevard.
Troopers said 66-year-old Eugene Mandarino hit three people and drove away. Troopers said he was tracked down and arrested at his Punta Gorda home, and faces multiple hit-and-run charges.
Watch Fox 4's Alex Orenczuk report on the Halloween hit-and-run:
Carmelo Rodriguez told Fox 4 he and his fiancée, Megan Denton, were loading their kids into the car after trick-or-treating when Mandarino’s black pickup truck slammed into him.
“I had my flashlight out, there was no way he couldn’t see us,” Rodriguez said. He added that despite his injuries, he chased the driver down and took a picture of his license plate before calling authorities.
Rodriguez's car door is bent where he said Mandarino made impact with it. He said he was also injured and is still recovering.
"I'm somewhat okay, I'm still in a lot of pain," he told Fox 4.
Troopers said Mandarino also hit another family nearby, seriously injuring Lehigh Acres father Sawyer Ghee. His girlfriend, Isabella Rivera, told FOX 4 that Ghee pushed her and their baby out of the way just before impact.
“It was instinctual. He immediately pushed her out of the way. And he is genuinely a hero for what he did for our daughter,” Rivera said.
Investigators said Mandarino was taken to the hospital after his arrest and has not yet been booked into jail.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Ghee’s family with medical expenses as he continues to recover.
FHP said the investigation is ongoing.
