Stuart man charged in Port Salerno shooting

MARTIN COUNTY — A Stuart man has been charged with aggravated battery in connection with a shooting that wounded a man Sunday in Port Salerno.

Martin County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division Detective Jason Howard arrested Anthony L. Ludovico, 21, of San Antonio, Fla., said Rhonda Irons, spokeswoman for the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.

About 9:37 p.m. Aug. 12, deputies responded to the area of Southeast Salerno Road and the 5000 block of Southeast Horizon Avenue in Port Salerno about a shooting.

The victim, a 36-year-old man, was transported to Martin Memorial Hospital with a gunshot wound to the arm, said Dave Hashburger, spokesman for Martin County Fire Rescue.

His injuries are not considered life-threatening, Hashburger said.

A subsequent investigation has revealed that the man, who was in the area visiting a friend, and Ludovico had a verbal altercation earlier in the day, according to arrest reports.

Ludovico stated that sometime later he saw that someone was shining a flashlight into his window. He went outside, armed with a handgun, to confront the person and encountered the victim.

Ludovico fired one round into the air and then attempted to strike the man with the gun. Ludovico said the gun discharged and struck the man in the arm.

The man fled the area on foot and Ludovico returned to the residence on Salerno Road, where he was later taken into custody. The handgun was recovered inside the home.

Ludovico is in the Martin County Jail, with bail set at $40,000.