A woman was driving her SUV with her family inside in Santa Clarita when she casually decided to use her vehicle’s windshield washer. When she did so, some of the liquid sprayed onto a neighboring car, sparking outrage. The driver of the neighboring car, a grey Honda Civic, pulled up alongside the SUV and motioned to the driver to roll down her window. When she did, the man in the Honda yelled at her for splashing his new car with her windshield washer fluid. The woman apologized and rolled up her window.
In an apparent act of road rage, shots rang out.
According to police, nobody was hurt in the SUV because the shots hit the vehicle’s front tire. Once the tire blew, the woman pulled over and the suspect sped off. The entire ordeal was caught on the dashboard cam of a vehicle in the area. Currently, investigators are still searching for the suspect. He’s described as a white male between 20 and 30 years old with a goatee. Anyone with information is asked to contact the LASD.
It would seem that the suspect purposely shot at the tire of the SUV, and if so, it’s possible he won’t be charged with assault, attempted murder, or anything like that. Instead, he may be charged with violating California Penal Code 246 PC, the law that makes it illegal to shoot at an inhabited dwelling or vehicle.
Under 246 PC, shooting at an inhabited home, building, vehicle, aircraft or housecar (think RV) is a felony. If convicted, defendants face the possible penalties of 6 months to 1 year in county jail OR 3 to 7 years in state prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000.
Unfortunately, instances where a suspect fires at an occupied vehicle aren’t all that common in cases of road rage. According to the suspect, and the dash cam footage of a nearby driver, the vehicle he was in was new and had paper plates as opposed to official metal license plates. It’s unclear whether or not the suspect had just purchased the car that day or not.
