Deputies: Man Terrorized Brandon Mall Patrons, HARTline Bus Passengers

An ordinary evening at Westfield Brandon mall took a violent turn Tuesday when Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies say a man began to threaten fellow customers, sparking off a two-location incident that ultimately resulted in his arrest.

The incident began to unfold around 5:32 p.m. at the 459 Brandon Town Center Drive mall when deputies say a man started displaying belligerent behavior and threatened customers. His behavior was so bad, an email to media from the agency stated, that customers were frightened and normal mall operations were disrupted.

When the man was asked to leave, deputies say he pulled out a 4-inch pocket knife and approached the person who asked, threatening to kill him. The victim managed to place a barricade between himself and the armed man while yelling for him to stop, the email said.

The man eventually left the mall, but the incident didn’t stop there.

It seems the man hopped on a HARTline bus and became combative with the driver. The man once again pulled out his pocket knife, this time threatening to kill everyone on the bus, the sheriff’s office email stated.

At that point, the bus driver pulled over near Gornto Lake Road South and Causeway Boulevard. Deputies tried to detain the man, but they, too, ran into some problems. Cpl. Scott Morrill was forcefully grabbed during the incident, but deputies were eventually able to bring the man into custody, the email noted. The man had watery, bloodshot eyes and an odor of alcohol on him at the time of his arrest, deputies said.

Maximiliano Vargas of Tampa was charged with 11 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, battery on a law enforcement officer, disorderly intoxication and disorderly conduct. He was being held at the Hillsborough County Jail Wednesday in lieu of $24,500 bond.

Photo courtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office

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