A simple drive down South Military Trail almost turned violent for two suburban West Palm Beach residents this month, according to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office arrest report.

Investigators say Joel Santiesteban pointed a gun at them after they had cut each other off with their cars. Santiesteban, 31, is facing charges of aggravated assault with a firearm. He was released from the Palm Beach County Jail on April 3 after posting a $10,000 bond.

On April 2, a woman and a man were traveling south on South Military from Summit Boulevard in an unspecified car at the same time that Santiesteban was headed in the same direction in a silver Cadillac, the sheriff’s office said in a probable-cause affidavit released last week.

For nearly one-half mile, both cars passed each other, cut each other off and slammed on their brakes, the sheriff’s office said in its report. It was unclear from the report what led the drivers to challenge each other.

When the victims’ car approached the 1400 block of South Military, near Forest Hill Boulevard, its driver moved it into the left-turn lane to make a U-turn and head north toward home. Santiesteban cut in front of the victims in the turn lane, and the vehicles ended up side by side, the report said.

The Sheriff’s Office said Santiesteban then pointed a black handgun at the victims.

The driver of the victims’ car deliberately passed her residence and made another U-turn to go south on South Military. Santiesteban kept following, then turned the Cadillac into a car wash parking lot as the victims Herring pulled into Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, one business north of the car wash along Military.

Several deputies then stopped the Cadillac after it had left the car-wash parking lot and turned eastbound on Summit, the report said. PBSO said Santiesteban told deputies he pointed the handgun because he feared for his life.

Santiesteban of West Palm Beach was arrested and charged aggravated assault with a firearm and the intent to kill.