Road Rage escalates: Man Allegedly Shootsโฃ Female Driver After Honking Incident, Sayโ Police
PHOENIX,โ AZ – A 20-year-old man has been indicted on multiple felony charges after allegedly shooting a female driver on October 11th โnear Peoria Avenue and Loopโ 101 in Arizona, authorities โannounced. Rudy R. Sanchez Jr.โค is accused of โฃfiring a shot intoโข the woman’s vehicle after she honked her horn โฃat him, claiming he felt “disrespected” when she passed him in traffic.
According to a news release from the Maricopa County Attorney’sโ Office, Sanchez has been charged with one count each of drive-by shooting and discharging a firearm into a structure, along withโฃ two counts of aggravated assault.
The incident began when the victim was stopped behind Sanchez’s BMW at a red โlight. after the light turned green and Sanchez reportedly did not proceed, the victim honked her horn. She then changed lanes and drove past him. Sanchez allegedly pulled โขalongside her, yelling profanities and demanding, “What do you want me to do?” When the woman responded, “You โขwere going too slow,” and looked โaway,โฃ Sanchez is accused of firing a โขshot through her โcar door, strikingโ her in the left leg. He then fled the scene.
Police say the โคgunshot “severely shattered” the victim’s femur,โข requiring surgicalโค repair with a metal rod. Medical experts have indicatedโค she could โperhaps lose โher left leg.
Followingโข an investigation, Peoria SWAT and the Criminal investigation Division located Sanchez’s vehicle at an apartment complex near 47th Street and McDowell road in Phoenix on October 15th. He was arrested without incident at approximately 5:34 a.m. as heโ entered his car.
A 9 mm handgunโ was reportedly found in Sanchez’s possession, and a spent โ9mm cartridge casing was recovered from inside his BMW.
Accordingโฃ to the arrest report, Sanchezโข made โฃan unsolicited admission to a detective whileโ awaiting transport. He allegedly stated, “Do you want to know whyโ I did it?” and then explained he shot the woman because he felt disrespected and โwas angry she hadn’t apologized for cutting him off.
Sanchez is currently held in the Maricopa โฃCounty Jail on a $250,000โ cash-only bond. A trialโข is scheduled for February 26, โฃ2026.
