Glendale road rage shooting leaves child hurt after bullet goes through car seat

GLENDALE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- Police are looking for the driver behind a road rage shooting on the Loop 101 in Glendale that left a toddler hurt on Saturday. According to police, a 25-year-old woman was driving south with her 2-year-old daughter in the backseat on the Agua Fria Freeway just before 9 p.m. on Saturday. As she drove past Northern Avenue, they were cut off by another driver. Officers say the woman then got back in front of the car when the driver went to pass her again. The woman says after the driver passed them, she heard three gunshots and the car sped away.

The woman immediately pulled over after the shooting to check on her daughter, who was crying but didn’t see any injuries. She then drove home and got the toddler out of her car seat when she saw her daughter was bleeding. The woman took her to the hospital. It appears the toddler was grazed by a bullet. “What maybe occurred is that it hit the door, hit the car seat, then the child. So, hopefully, that is what helped slow down the round and kept the child from getting hurt worse than it was,” said Glendale Police Sgt. Randy Stewart.

Photos show a bullet hole on the side of the baby’s car seat. Two more bullet holes were seen on the back and front passenger doors. Police say the girl is expected to be OK.

Stewart is warning other drivers to be cautious if they think someone is having road rage. “First of all, the biggest thing is don’t engage. Don’t engage with anybody that’s having road rage. We’ve seen these incidents before unfortunately and they’re going to continue. You just can’t get engaged with things no matter how upset you may be. The best thing to do is do not engage and maybe turn the other direction, get off the freeway, turn right, go a different direction,” he said. Stewart added if things begin to escalate, immediately call 911.

Officers say the suspect is described as a man with a dark complexion and a mustache. He is between 30 to 40 years old and was last seen driving a white four-door sedan. Anyone with information is asked to call Glendale Police at (623) Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS or 480-TESTIGO for Spanish Speakers. There is a reward of up to $1,000. The investigation is ongoing.

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