HOUSTON – A suspect accused of firing at another driver during a road rage incident in southwest Houston Sunday evening has been arrested and charged, deputies with Constable Ted Heap’s Office said.
James Anthony Young, Jr., 32, faces felony charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His bond was initially set at $100,000 by a magistrate judge but then lowered to $25,000 by Harris County District Court Judge Jason Luong.
As of Friday night, records show Young is no longer in jail.
The incident happened in the 13500 block of Westpark Tollway.
According to deputies, video cameras on the victim’s vehicle captured the “high-speed altercation.”
“I seen him approaching pretty fast in the rearview mirror, and I tried to get over, but traffic was all around,” the victim Chris Harclerode told KPRC 2. “Somebody could have been killed, I could have been killed.”
Deputies said as Harclerode exited the toll road at Eldridge, Young “overtakes him” at a high rate of speed and stopped on the exit ramp, blocking traffic.
The suspect then exited his truck with a firearm and fired four shots at the other driver’s vehicle, investigators said. The vehicle was struck multiple times, but deputies said the driver escaped uninjured.
“If that window film and that laminated glass hadn’t stopped that bullet, the trajectory of that bullet would have hit me in the head,” Harclerode said.
Deputies said they were able to identify the suspect as Young and arrest him without incident Monday.
“It’s fortunate that nobody was injured in this situation,” Constable Heap said. “This was an extremely dangerous situation for these two drivers as well as other innocent bystanders whose lives were at risk as well.”
Young made his first court appearance on Tuesday, when a magistrate judge set his bond at $100,000 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The next day, Harris County District Court Judge Jason Luong lowered his bond to $25,000.
“Somebody can go open fire on an innocent civilian and then be back out on the street in less than a week on a $25,000 bond?,” Harclerode questioned. “This is a civilized society – you should not be able to fire rounds at people and get away with it.”
He’s now fearful for his life and his family’s, and any others who end up in Young’s path of anger.
“We’re not going to be able to sleep at night knowing that he’s loose,” Harclerode said.
Young has a lengthy criminal history that dates back to 2010.
Constable Heap offered the following tips if you are involved in a road rage incident:
• If you encounter an aggressive driver, don’t respond.
• Don’t respond to aggression with aggression.
• Avoid eye contact.
• Avoid offensive hand gestures.
• Don’t honk your horn or attempt to antagonize the enraged driver by blocking his way.