Miami couple arrested after threatening to kill man in road rage incident in the Keys

MIAMI –– A married Miami couple on Saturday was facing charges following an alleged traffic altercation that police said stemmed from road rage.

Mario Barbado Pichard, 59, has been charged with battery and his wife, identified as Damarys Pichardo, 54, was charged with attempted murder in connection with the incident around 12:30 a.m. Saturday near Mile Marker 26, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said.  

It was not immediately clear if the couple had posted bail as of Saturday evening.

“This was an unfortunate crash that should have been resolved peacefully,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay. “Instead, we have people in jail facing serious legal charges. It’s a valuable reminder to always let law enforcement address disputes.”

According to police, the couple were in a Ford pickup truck that was involved in a crash with a Chevrolet pickup truck.

Pichardo, identified as the driver of the Ford, instigated a physical fight with the other pickup driver, identified as a 38-year-old man from Marathon, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office. 

Pichardo’s wife pulled out a 380-caliber handgun and called 911 during the incident, investigators said.

Monroe County dispatchers heard the man threaten to kill the Chevy’s driver, who also reported hearing the handgun trigger pulled multiple times even though the weapon did not fire. 

The dispatchers reported hearing the man ask his wife why the gun was not loaded or firing. 

It was later learned the handgun had a loaded magazine, however, a round was not chambered at the time of the incident, authorities said.