Manatee road rage suspect accused of shooting pregnant woman denied bond by judge

BRADENTON, Fla. - The man accused of shooting a pregnant veteran in a fit of road rage was denied bond by a judge on Friday. 

The woman and her babies survived, but Manatee County prosecutors argued that Vincent Steele was too dangerous to let out as he awaits trial. He's accused of opening fire earlier this month after crashing into a truck on US 41.

Steele admitted to deputies that he was irate when he crashed his BMW into the pickup truck, thinking that he was in the right. He said he took an unloaded gun, loaded it, then approached the car and tried to pull the door open.

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He said he saw the driver pulling his own gun out, then used his to fire multiple shots.

"We determined that based upon the evidence at the scene and the statements that we had gathered so far, that Mr. Steele did not have a valid claim to self-defense at that point by being the primary aggressor," said Detective Nicholas Alexander of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

He hit a pregnant woman three times, who was also a veteran who served in Afghanistan, before that vehicle sped off.

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The defense called a character witness who said Steele is an upstanding person in their community.

"He's very dependable. He's an honest person, and I never seen him have any type of malice towards anyone," said Fatima Weeks, an acquaintance of the suspect. "I honestly don't feel like, I know it is an opinion, we would be here today if he didn't feel threatened or in danger."

Despite the presence of a gun being found in a pickup, deputies argued none of this would have happened if not for him.

MORE: Florida man shot woman pregnant with twins multiple times over Palmetto crash: MCSO

"The intent to charge any vehicle with a number of unknown passengers in it in an irate fashion, according to the defendant's own statement," said Judge Teresa Dees. "Irate fashion and proceed to open fire even as the vehicle drove away, according to the evidence today. To me, says there is nothing that I can do to protect the community."

Deputies said Steele told them there was a bit of confusion as the vehicles were merging onto US 41. He said that his vehicle had been rammed.

The pregnant woman and her twins survived, but she was in the hospital for several weeks.

Steele is facing five charges of attempted murder and will have to stay in jail now until the trial. He is due back in court on June 28.

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