Agent testifies in road rage trial

Defense asks judge for acquittal

Federal agent AngelEchevarria on Wednesday testified he and his family were victims of road rage, and he acted like a cop when he shot a motorist’s car while off duty in an attempt to protect his wife outsideTown Center mall in Boca Raton.

“When I saw him reach downfor theweapon, Iwas taking a law enforcement action at that point,” Echevarria told a Palm Beach County jury, in his trial on three 2013 charges of aggravated assault with a firearm. “They already tried to kill us on the road.”

The question before closing arguments set for Thursday is whether Circuit Judge John Kastrenakes will grant a defense request to acquit Echevarria, 44, before the jury ever considers the evidence.

“I am really troubled by this case,” the judge said with the jury out of the courtroom, explaining it could just as easily been a matterwhere Echevarria was deemed the victim and the other motorist, Alla Juma, was the one being prosecuted.

Kastrenakes said while he’s a “big believer in the jury system” getting it right, hewas torn after presiding over the trial the past two days.

If the judge declines to acquit Echevarria, the attorneys will proceed with their final arguments.

Defense attorney Bruce Lehr says the State Attorney’s Office “got it wrong,” because it’s an obvious situation where