A road-rage dispute over a turn at a red light escalated into a machete confrontation Monday in Harris County, according to the local constable’s office.
Deputies with Harris County Constable Precinct 4 responded Sept. 29 to the 2200 block of FM 1960 Road W after receiving a report of road rage.
When deputies arrived, they encountered a man they said was brandishing a machete. They detained him and identified him as Jose Castelan.
The confrontation had apparently grown out of an ordinary traffic grievance. Precinct 4 said Castelan became upset with a truck driver who reportedly disregarded a red light and turned in front of him.
Out Of The Car
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Precinct 4 said Castelan then got out of his vehicle while armed with the machete and charged toward the truck driver.
Deputies took him into custody without further incident. The constable’s office did not report that anyone was injured during the encounter.
Constable Mark Herman used the arrest to warn drivers against turning a traffic dispute into a confrontation.
“Road rage can escalate in a matter of seconds,” Herman said. He urged drivers who become angry to create distance rather than confront someone and to contact law enforcement when necessary.
A $50,000 Bond
Castelan was booked into the Harris County Jail and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to Precinct 4.
The constable’s office said his bond was set at $50,000 out of the 496th District Court.
The arrest was announced the following day. A newer authoritative Harris County custody record was not publicly indexed in searches reviewed before publication, so Castelan’s subsequent custody status was not independently established.
All parties are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.