ORLANDO, Fla. – The reward for information leading to the arrest of the person who shot a man during an altercation on Interstate 4 has doubled, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
The former $5,000 reward has now increased to $10,000 for anyone who has information about the fatal shooting that occurred Tuesday on I-4 between Osceola Parkway and State Road 528.
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John-John Villafane, 53, was riding in a blue sedan on I-4 eastbound when he was shot by someone in another blue vehicle between 6:45 p.m. and 7:25 p.m., deputies said.
The driver of the vehicle Villafane was riding in said there was some type of altercation with the other car, and it escalated until they saw someone brandish a gun, according to the sheriff’s office incident report.
The report said the suspect’s vehicle drove up to the passenger side. The driver told deputies he heard a pop and then saw a bullet hole in the door. The report says the driver tried to chase after the suspect’s car until he realized that Villafane had been shot.
Villafane was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to investigators.
The driver of the car Villafane was riding in said there was some type of altercation between the two blue cars, but deputies have not said if Villafane was the intended target, or what the altercation was about.
#UPDATE: The reward for info in the murder of John-John Villafane is now $10K, thanks to @FLSheriffs.
— Orange County Sheriff's Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) July 8, 2022
Our detectives still need help to ID the driver who fatally shot Mr. Villafane on I-4 on 7/5. He's described as a black male in a blue sedan.
Call @CrimelineFL: 800-423-8477 pic.twitter.com/jTaTTsfcVf
Deputies said there were no shots fired or reckless driver calls between 6:45 and 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday night and believe this is an isolated incident.
According to investigators, anyone who witnessed the shooting or knows anything about it should call Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477). The caller can remain anonymous.
It’s not the first time we’ve reported on gunfire on I-4 in the past few months.
Last month, Orlando police said a 29-year-old man appeared to have been shot by someone in another car near the Conroy Road exit on I-4 near Mall at Millenia. Police said he pulled over and fired multiple shots back. According to officers, he is expected to recover.
Also, troopers said two women traveling along I-4 in Volusia County were shot at from someone in another car back on June 19, but were not hit.
No arrests have been made in these cases as of yet.
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