Orlando deadly road rage shooting: Tina Allgeo released on bond, officials say
Woman granted bond in Orlando road rage shooting case
Tina Allgeo, the Orlando woman charged with second-degree murder for a deadly road-rage shooting, bonded out of jail on Saturday morning. Since being indicted last month, 47-year-old Allgeo has been held in Orange County Jail without bond. On Friday, a judge set Allgeo's bond at $100,000. Court records show she posted the bond only a few hours later.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Tina Allgeo, the Orlando woman charged with second-degree murder for a deadly road-rage shooting, bonded out of jail on Saturday morning.
Since being indicted last month, 47-year-old Allgeo has been held in Orange County Jail without bond.
On Friday, a judge set Allgeo's bond at $100,000. Court records show she posted the bond only a few hours later.
Tina Allgeo and her husband walked out of the Orange County Jail hand-in-hand on Saturday morning.
Latest case updates
What we know:
During a pre-trial hearing, Allgeo's attorney, Mark O’Mara, argued that she acted in self-defense. He cited video showing the victim opening Allgeo's car door before the shooting, while prosecutors claimed she is a danger to the community.
New video in alleged Orlando road rage shooting
A judge granted bond for Tina Allgeo, charged with second-degree murder in a December road rage shooting, but she will remain in custody until trial.
"Right now, I just want to get my wife home, take her back to our house," Allgeo's husband said as he walked her out of the jail Saturday morning. "Any other questions you have, you're welcome to reach out to our attorney."
What they're saying:
State Attorney Monique Worrell said Allgeo was the aggressor in the incident.
"The state’s position is she [Allgeo] provoked the entire incident," Worrell said. "After Mr. Tsvetkov left their initial encounter, she pursued him, struck his vehicle with hers, which prohibits Ms. Allgeo from using self-defense as a claim if she's in the commission."
Prosecutors have argued that Allego should not be able to legally claim self-defense and told the judge they believe she could be a danger to the community if released.
On Tuesday, Feb. 25, the Orange County Grand Jury formally indicted Tina Allgeo, 47, for Second Degree Murder (with a firearm) in the fatal shooting of Mihail Tsvetkov.
"She intentionally struck his vehicle after he left the initial encounter," Worrell said. "That is a forcible felony – which prohibits her from self-defense."
Allgeo's attorney, Mark O’Mara, is arguing that the newly released video supports her self-defense claim.
"I thought it evidenced that my client acted appropriately in self-defense," he said. "I mean, I don't want to presume what a jury may think about it, but, you know, you look at that video, even though she may have been an aggressor of sorts with that shot at the car earlier, he gets out of the car, looks at it, 15 to 20 seconds of that, comes into her car and rips her door open and starts pummeling her inside. That is classic self-defense. Both of them could’ve acted better to begin with, including my client. But when it came down to it, what really counts is he was pummeling her. He was beating her up, creating her fear of great bodily injury, which is exactly what the statute says. She’s allowed to respond."
O'Mara released a statement following the judge's ruling to grant bond on Friday.
"I'm very happy that the state's motion for pre-trial detention was denied as it should have been," he said. "The $100,000 was a bit high for the financial circumstances of my client, but at least she's going to be home while we defend this case."
What led to the deadly shooting?
The backstory:
The case stems from an alleged road rage incident in December that ended in gunfire.
Investigators said the incident started during morning rush hour traffic when the victim, Mihail Tsvetkov, may have hit Allgeo’s car. Detectives said Tsvetkov drove away and Allgeo followed him down East Colonial Drive. A video shown in court appears to show her crashing into his car in retaliation. Orlando police officers reported that Tsvetkov then went to Allgeo’s car, opened her door and punched her, and she responded by shooting and killing him.
Mihail Tsvetkov was killed in a road rage shooting in Orlando on December 2nd, 2024 (Courtesy: Daniela Cvetkova)
Allgeo was indicted on second-degree murder charges last month, leading to her initial detention without bond. The legal battle over whether she should remain in custody intensified during the pre-trial hearing, with both sides presenting arguments regarding her potential threat to the community and the legitimacy of her self-defense claim.
What we don't know:
It remains unclear what led up to the confrontation between Allgeo and the victim before the shooting. Details about their interaction prior to the fatal moment have not been fully disclosed.
While Allgeo claims self-defense, it is uncertain how the court will ultimately interpret the video evidence and other factors in the case.
Tsvetkov’s sister, Daniela Cvetkova, provided a statement to FOX 35 following Allgeo's bond.
"[The] decision to grant bond to my brother's killer is deeply disappointing and, frankly, heartbreaking," she said. "We continue to mourn the loss of our beloved Mihail, and this decision feels like a setback in our pursuit of justice."
What's next:
The case moves toward trial in May, where the court will weigh the self-defense claim against the prosecution’s evidence.
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The Source: This story was written based on information gathered from previous reporting, as well as information obtained through court records.