Investigators say a dispute over a towed vehicle escalated into gunfire before separate attempts to leave the area led to arrests.
STUART, Fla. — Two Miami women were being held in the Martin County Jail on Saturday after authorities said a dispute involving a towed vehicle erupted into gunfire, followed by a law enforcement pursuit and a separate crash near Stuart.
Jade Rondon, 23, faces two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, as well as charges of discharging a firearm in public, aggravated fleeing and eluding, driving with a suspended license and felony criminal mischief, according to information released after the Friday incident. A judge ordered Rondon held on $211,000 bond during a first appearance Saturday. Valerie Valdes, 22, was being held on $25,000 bond on a charge of operating an unregistered motor vehicle and four counts of reckless driving with injuries.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office said the confrontation began around 1 p.m. Friday at a towing facility on Southeast Cove Road. Authorities said Rondon and Valdes went there in connection with a vehicle that had been towed earlier that morning. Investigators said the vehicle had been recovered after being reported stolen and had been connected to activity from the previous evening. Two other people later arrived at the tow yard, and an argument developed over the vehicle and property inside it, according to the sheriff’s office.
Sheriff John Budensiek said investigators believe the dispute centered on belongings in the car, which included firearms. Authorities allege Rondon obtained a gun and fired multiple shots toward the other people. Investigators said bullets struck trailers at the tow yard but no one was injured by the gunfire. The other people involved had left before deputies arrived.
Deputies began searching for the vehicle Rondon was driving and located it on Cove Road near U.S. 1, the sheriff’s office said. Authorities said deputies attempted a traffic stop, but the driver continued away. Deputies then used a pursuit intervention maneuver to stop the vehicle and took Rondon into custody.
Authorities said Valdes was later driving another vehicle at a high rate of speed and weaving through traffic even though deputies were not pursuing her at the time. The sheriff’s office said she lost control and was involved in a crash near Osprey Street and U.S. 1. No serious injuries were reported from that crash.
The arrests did not end the investigation. Budensiek said detectives were seeking search warrants involving vehicles and phones as they worked to determine what happened before the confrontation and why several people had an interest in the same vehicle. Investigators were also reviewing video and other data connected to the incident.
The sheriff’s office has said additional charges are possible as detectives continue gathering evidence. The charges filed against Rondon and Valdes are accusations, and the cases had not been resolved in court as of Saturday.
Author note: Last updated October 3, 2026.