MESA, AZ — A road rage incident in early August left a family shaken after police say the suspect pulled out a gun and fired.
It all happened in a flash. Video given to ABC15 by the victim, who wanted to remain anonymous, showed the moment when Mesa police say 24-year-old Alyssa Soto opened fire on the vehicle next to her.
“I don’t know what makes people get to that point,” said Priscilla Beltran, a Mesa resident reacting to the incident.
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On August 7, at around 8 p.m., police reports say the victim, their spouse and their two-year-old child were driving westbound on McKellips Road when they merged from three lanes to two. Soon after, the video shows a black SUV pulling up next to them with windows rolling down.
According to the police report, some words were exchanged and there was some yelling, and that is when things got more heated.
When the light turned green, you can see the driver of the SUV holding something that then flashes once, leaving a puff of smoke behind. Police say it was a handgun. After the shot was fired, the bullet ended up at a Chevron gas station parking lot, where police recovered it for evidence.
“You could just be driving down the street, not knowing that you cut someone off and, you know, all of a sudden, someone flies by you and cuts you off. I’ve had that actually happen to me," said Beltran.
Police say the bullet did not strike the victim’s vehicle and no one was hurt. The footage they had from the victim was enough to lead police to Soto, who was driving her grandmother’s SUV that night.
In a statement to ABC15, the victim said: “This has been an extremely horrifying time for our family and I truly want to prevent this from happening to anyone else.”
Soto was arrested on Friday. She is facing three felony charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
According to the police report, Soto told investigators she was cut off or hit by the victim’s vehicle before the shooting, and that she got angry, but was not trying to hurt anyone.
The police are still investigating.
