A mother and daughter — Ashley and Emily Gallagher — were on vacation in Cape Coral, Florida, when things got weird at Rusty's Bar on Thursday night, WINK-TV reported.
Ashley Gallagher (left) with daughter Emily Gallagher
They were part of a small group of women that included Ashley Gallagher's daughter-in-law — and 53-year-old Henry Lesinak Jr. was buying them drinks, Gallagher told the station.
"I think he was trying to hit on my daughter-in-law and definitely get her to go home with him, or whatever it was," she noted to WINK. "And I think when he realized that wasn't going to happen, that's when he said we were taking advantage of him by spending his money."
Henry Lesinak, Jr.
Image source: WFTX-TV video screenshot
Emily Gallagher told the station "all of a sudden, like, 'boom,' he turned violent, angry."
What happened next?
Investigators told WINK that when the women tried to leave Lesniak chased after them.
But fortunately they spotted a white pickup truck — and a willing driver inside it, the station said.
“We kind of just screamed, 'Help!' begging him to let us into his truck," Emily Gallagher added to WINK.
The driver of the truck, Amir Rossi of Cape Coral, told the station everything happened in a flash.
Image source: WINK-TV video screenshot
“It got heated so quick," Rossi noted to WINK, adding that the women "jumped in my truck, and they were just like, 'Go! Go! Go!' And the next thing I know, this guy's reaching in ... trying to grab me."
With that, Rossi told the station he pulled out his gun — and Lesniak "backed off" and "disappeared."
But not for long
Police told WFTX-TV that Lesniak got in his truck, chased the truck with the women passengers, passed it, and then rammed it several times in reverse. Image source: WINK-TV video screenshot
This time Rossi didn't merely pull out his gun — he pulled the trigger, firing several shots into the back of Lesniak's truck and then holding him at gunpoint until police arrived, WINK reported.
Lesniak — of Nashua, New Hampshire — was charged with four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon: his truck, WFTX said, adding that he was taken to jail.
No one was hurt, WINK added.
"I just yelled out, like, 'God, please help us! Save us! Make sure I go home alive and safe,'" Emily Gallagher told WINK. "God was with us; He definitely was."
Ashley Gallagher, speaking of Rossi, said he's "an amazing person, and he saved our lives, and he's a hero, he really is." Image source: WINK-TV video screenshot
Officers determined that the firing on Lesniak's pickup was in self-defense in response to Lesniak's aggressive actions, WFTX reported. “I just did what I would want anybody to do for me and my family," Rossi told WINK in the aftermath. “I appreciate it. I don't look at it as being a hero; I just look at it as doing what was necessary to be done to protect them."
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I said, "Let's go and we will look for this guy." We hopped into my Blazer and took off toward the High School.
We spot him a few blocks from the High School. I make U-turn and get behind him. He pulled over on 4 lane and waits for traffic to come and pulls out in front of them. I had to wait for a few cars to go past, but I caught him at the gas station next to Post Office 4 blocks away.
The girls got his tag number. I told them, "Write it down now and give it to Rick, the school cop."
They found he lived right across from the school. So they put a good looking blond lady cop out front.
He come popping out the door and sees her. He walks up to her and says, "Hey baby, let's go upstairs and we can smoke a joint. She gives the signal and they bust him. They go upstairs and find weed. He is sitting in the shitter when I find out.
I tell the guys in the 'hood, "Get some ball bats and let's go."
We jump in my Blazer and head over to the school. I point out the car and go around the block. They jump out and take the windows out of the car all the way around. Then they run and jump back in the truck.
I see this guy again a month or two later doing the same thing, hitting on chicks walking down the street alone.
He pulls over to get out of his car. I have this chick in the truck with me and tell her, "Get down." I stop alongside and holler, Hey! I see you are still up to your old tricks." And I was out of there.
People like that do not change. And if he has been in prison, they get rid of molesters in there pretty quick. LOL
BTP Holdings posted on 2020-01-28 19:26:01 Reply Private Reply