Three men arrested after shots fired near Card Sound Bridge

Gunfire at the south end of Card Sound Bridge sent Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies into a late-night search along one of the Keys’ most critical access routes, ending with three mainland men in custody and a 9mm handgun recovered from their car.

Deputies responded shortly after 12:18 a.m. on April 17 after reports of shots fired near the bridge on the northern edge of Key Largo. At the scene, they found about 36 fresh brass casings, evidence that multiple rounds had been fired in an area where traffic, wildlife and nearby road users can all be placed at risk in an instant.

Investigators later located a Honda sedan on County Road 905 and stopped it. Inside were Luis Gerardo Jaramillo-Montoya, 23, of Pembroke Pines, William Raul Garcia, 20, of Miami, and Jonathan Garcia, 18, of Goulds. All three admitted they had fired multiple shots toward the mangroves and the ocean, and deputies recovered a 9mm handgun from the vehicle. Each man was charged with unlawful discharge of a firearm in public.

Monroe County arrest records show Jonathan Garcia was booked at 1:29 a.m. at the south end of Card Sound Bridge in North Key Largo and William Raul Garcia was booked there at 1:49 a.m. Both were charged under Florida Statutes section 790.15.1, firing weapon. Records also list marijuana possession and a drug-related felony for William Raul Garcia.

The case underscores the stakes on Card Sound Road, which Monroe County says is one of only two roadways connecting the Florida Keys to the mainland. The Card Sound Toll Authority says toll revenue pays for personnel and maintenance on Card Sound Road and its five bridges, while county crews maintain the toll facilities and mow and cut brush along the right-of-way. Tolls are collected electronically, with no cash accepted, and the county suspends tolls during mandatory hurricane evacuations and if the 18-Mile Stretch is closed.

County road materials also note that Card Sound Road has seen numerous crashes over the years, including fatal wrecks, making the corridor a continuing safety concern even before a gunfire call adds another layer of danger. Tubby’s Creek Bridge on Card Sound Road was built in 1969, a reminder that this heavily used gateway is both aging and indispensable.