Security guard accused of pulling gun on pizza delivery driver during road rage incident
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A security guard has been ordered by a judge to find a new line of work after his arrest in a road rage case.
Richard Xavier Cruz, 48, pleaded guilty this week to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after a road rage incident with a 25-year old pizza delivery driver on the east end.
"We're thankful that young man was able to come home to his family," said Kofi Taharka.
The victim's family called Kofi Taharka, a Houston activist with the National Black United Front, hours after it happened on Friday the 13th.
Police say on the way to a delivery on Dallas Street, the victim nearly collided with Cruz.
According to investigators, Cruz followed the victim to the delivery, started screaming, and pulled a pistol. The victim says he was so focused on delivering his pizza that he didn't even notice he'd nearly hit someone.
"It shook him up tremendously," Taharka said. "He called the police but he was very concerned about whether he would be believed when the police got there."
The victim didn't want to be identified, but he told us over the phone that he apologized, but he says Cruz kept yelling and using racial slurs.
Police say Cruz drove off while the victim was on the phone with 911.
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The victim says he followed Cruz from Dallas Street to a driveway on Sherman and that's when Cruz charged at him with the gun and threatened him.
Cruz also called police.
"What if he would have killed this young man?" asked Taharka. "Then we would have been only left with his story with nobody able to tell the other story."
He pleaded guilty and received deferred adjudication.
According to Texas DPS records, Cruz has worked for years as a commissioned security officer. But as part of the conditions of his deferred adjudication, he won't work security any time soon -- at least until the court says so.
ABC13 asked Taharka if he could be trusted in that capacity.
"If these allegations are proven true in a court of law as he goes through the process, absolutely not," Taharka said.
Cruz has also been ordered to have no contact with the victim.
