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Family Finds Gun in Rental Car

Louis Venuto and his two-year-old daughter were working on cleaning up a rental car Friday after a trip to Cocoa Beach when they found much more than they bargained for in the car.

“There were a bunch of them (toys) on the floor, and we were cleaning up the car, and I said, ‘Chloe, pick your toys up,’” said Venuto. “She was gathering them all up, and that’s when she must’ve spotted it.”

The “it” Venuto was referring to was a loaded .45 caliber handgun with one round in the chamber and the safety off. It turns out, the gun had been in the car the entire time Venuto and his family were renting it.

“You know, she’s talking, ‘Oh, here’s my Minnie, there’s my Sophia,’ and she got quiet,” Venuto said. “And I quick took a look and that’s when I seen her grab it.”

Venuto said he secured the gun and then called West Sunrise Enterprise where he rented the Toyota Avalon sedan Thursday morning. Eventually, he got to a manager. The manager said she would call him back, but never did.

NBC 6 reached out to Enterprise about the situation and a representative sent a statement that read in part: “…The safety of our customers is our top priority, and we are thoroughly investigating this situation…”

Venuto said all he wants is to get to the bottom of how the gun was left in the car, putting his whole family in danger.

“You’re supposed to vacuum and clean the car before the next customer rents,” Venuto said. “Enterprise just failed at that epically.”

Venuto called the Davie Police who took custody of the weapon. Police are investigating the incident and trying to determine the owner of the gun.

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