A recent road rage encounter at a Utah gas station ended with a man being pinned between his own car door and the frame of his vehicle, police say. The driver accused of doing it now faces an attempted murder charge. But first, police had to be able to identify him.
The Tooele Police Department says the initial altercation between the two drivers had been brief and verbal. Usually, this is the kind of argument that tends to end with both participants driving off, with everything forgotten. This one did not, and the driver came back.
The victim, who had pulled over to clean a spilled drink, was standing behind the open driver-side door of his own car. Suddenly, the other driver’s vehicle struck the door, trapping the man between the door and the frame of the car. The driver then sped away from the scene.
Investigators have since gotten surveillance footage to examine as well as an arrest affidavit, alternative felony charges, methamphetamine and paraphernalia recovered at the arrest, and a suspect. The man, at the time of his booking, was already wanted under multiple warrants going back several years.
What Police Say Happened
According to the Tooele Police Department and the arrest affidavit, the encounter began just before 8 p.m. on May 14 at a convenience store at 608 North Main Street in Tooele. The victim had pulled into the parking lot to clean up after spilling a drink in his car. He went about his business, which kept him
As he was doing so, a blue Mazda driven by 31-year-old Marco Fred David Chavez pulled up and the two men got into a short verbal altercation, the affidavit says. Chavez drove off, then returned a short time later. The victim was standing behind the open driver-side door of his car when the Mazda struck the door, pinning him against the frame of his own vehicle.
Chavez then drove off again. The victim suffered injuries to his jaw, shoulder, and arm. Now, Tooele is on the hook for much more than just a few injuries, however. If convicted, he’ll likely spend a lot of time behind bars for murder.
The Investigation
Tooele police obtained surveillance video of the incident from the convenience store and identified Chavez from the footage, the affidavit says. The damage to his vehicle, when investigators located it, was consistent with the collision. And with that kind of finding, that meant it wouldn’t be hard to put Chavez on the hook.
Chavez was arrested Tuesday. The Tooele Police Department added that at the time of his arrest, Chavez had several active warrants stretching back over several years. It seems he had a much more colorful history than it was initially assumed, thanks to his lengthy list of charges.
What Was Found During the Arrest
Police said Chavez was found in possession of a white crystalline substance consistent with methamphetamine, along with a bong, a glass pipe and a pen casing containing residue.
Chavez was booked into the Tooele County Jail and charged in Utah’s 3rd District Court with attempted murder, a first-degree felony, or, in the alternative, aggravated assault with a road rage penalty enhancement, a second-degree felony, or aggravated assault with serious injury, also a second-degree felony.
Additional counts include failure to remain at the scene of an accident with injuries, drug possession (a Class A misdemeanor) and possession of drug paraphernalia (a Class B misdemeanor).