By:De Anna Sheffield
South Tampa, Florida - On Tuesday evening, Michelle Fernandez was driving down Armenia in South Tampa with her two children in the car, when another driver tried to run her off the road. The man had a sign over his passenger window that said 'Never forget Bush's illegal oil war murdered thousands in Iraq.'
Fernandez has a Bush/Cheney bumper sticker on her car. Fernandez called police from her cell phone when the driver began yelling, blowing his horn, and following her.
9-1-1 DispatchDispatch: Where are you on Kennedy?
Caller: Right now I'm on Kennedy and Arrawana. Look, he just pulled over next to me, he's stopping the car, it's ridiculous this man! Look he's running after my car, Oh my goodness, he's a fanatic, he's in the middle of the street!
For nine minutes Fernandez stayed on the phone with dispatchers, turning on busy streets, hoping to lose the other driver. The dispatcher heard a horn honking in the background.
9-1-1 DispatchDispatch: Is that him blowing his horn at you?
Caller:No I was blowing my horn at somebody 'cause I'm running stoplights and everything else to get away from him.
Fernandez was finally able to throw the driver off her trail. She ended up going to a near-by little league ball park and waited for police to file a report. They arrested Nathan Winkler at his home. They found the sign in the car.
Joe Durkin, Tampa Police spokesperson"When we contacted him, his indication to the officers of why he was upset, was because he says 'the victim flipped him off, and that's why I pursued her.' But this is taking political views to an extreme."
Winkler is now charged with aggravated stalking and road rage, which carries a five year sentence.
