25-year-old Wake Warthen II, an entrepreneur and co-founder of Ozone Media Group, had an altercation with an Uber driver, Juan Alberto Ayala Villasenor, near the 6th Avenue South and Lafayette Street intersection late July 27th. Ayala Villasenor told responding officers he was driving in a slow traffic lane when Warthen II, who was driving separately, had become irate. Ayala Villasenor then stated that Warthen II pulled around his vehicle and stopped in front of him. Ayala Villasenor then pulled around to pass Warthen II’s vehicle. In response, Warthen II brandished and racked the slide of his handgun while yelling at him. After this, Ayala Villasenor said Warthen II pulled into a nearby alley, exited his vehicle with the gun, and pointed it at him, putting him in fear of bodily injury. He added that Warthen II returned to his car and left the scene.
Ayala Villasenor was driving a Tesla with cameras that captured the incident. Officers reviewed the footage, which showed Warthen II’s face clearly as he displayed the firearm and returned to his dark grey Mercedes Benz. After this, the police confirmed Warthen II as the vehicle owner and eventually located his Benz in the Sentral Sobro apartment parking lot. Upon inspection of the car, officers found Warthen II’s Versace glasses, which he was wearing in the footage, on the passenger seat. Officers also found the handgun in question between the center console and the driver’s seat. While officers were waiting to impound his Mercedes, Warthen II returned to the parking lot and was detained for the occurrence. Warthen II was then taken into custody for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.