Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
WEST VALLEY CITY — A Midvale man has been charged in a road rage case when an assault rifle was fired at a car with a child inside.
Melquiadez Ramirez, 24, was charged Thursday in 3rd District Court with discharge of a firearm, three counts of aggravated assault, and failing to respond to an officer's commands, all third-degree felonies; and interfering with an arresting officer, a class B misdemeanor.
On Nov. 26, a woman was driving with her husband and 1-year-old child near 4100 West and 3500 South when a car driven by Ramirez pulled up next to them. During their conversation, the front passenger in Ramirez's vehicle "pointed an assault rifle at (the woman), then fired a single shot at her before driving away," according to charging documents.
Police originally reported that Ramirez's vehicle had been "honking its horn and riding her bumper" prior to pulling up next to her. The mother then rolled down her window and told the occupants of the vehicle that her child was inside.
Officers spotted Ramirez's vehicle near 1300 West and 3100 South and a chase ensued, according to the charges. An officer performed a PIT maneuver on Ramirez near 1750 W. Research Way (2770 South), disabling his vehicle.
"Ramirez refused to comply with officers' commands and had to be restrained several times," the charges state.
Related:
Police: 3 arrested after road rage incident, pursuit
Two adults and a teen suspected in a road rage incident were taken into custody following a short vehicle pursuit that ended with an officer used a PIT maneuver, police said.Police say Ramirez is a Norteno gang member. When he was arrested, Ramirez had a blood-alcohol content of .152 when tested at the scene, or nearly twice the legal limit, according to a Salt Lake County Jail report. He was not charged with DUI.
Ramirez was previously convicted of theft for taking a car that was left running in a driveway in 2011, and for disorderly conduct in a separate case in 2014, according to court records.
Police also arrested Sergio Pena Rodriguez, 20, of West Jordan, for investigation of three counts of attempted murder, and failing to stop at the command of an officer. A third boy was booked into a juvenile detention facility for three counts of investigation of attempted murder. As of Thursday, Rodriguez had not been charged in connection with the road rage investigation. It was unknown if the juvenile had been charged.
Rodriguez was charged in an aggravated robbery and aggravated assault case in 2015. In that incident, a Unified police SWAT team was used to arrest him, according to court records. The case was dismissed in February. Rodriguez was also convicted of assault in 2015 in a separate case, robbery in another 2015 case, and attempted theft in February.
