Bystander shot in legs during Rio Grande City road rage incident, 1 arrested

RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas (ValleyCentral) — One person has been arrested in connection with a road rage shooting that left a bystander in the hospital.

Rio Grande City resident Edgar Pena, 31, was arrested Tuesday afternoon on one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of endangering a child.

Police responded to the shooting at about 4 p.m. Tuesday at the 100 block of East 2nd St.

According to Rio Grande City Interim Police Chief Jose Solis, the road rage incident stemmed from a driver accidentally cutting off Pena's vehicle.

The witness driver followed Pena at a distance while on the phone with dispatch and reported that Pena was driving recklessly.

Shortly after, Pena then decided to open his car window and open fire in the air, striking a woman unrelated to the road rage incident in both of her legs. Authorities say the victim was hit by a single bullet/

The witness driver continued to assist dispatch in tracking the suspect vehicle, a GMC Terrain, after the shooting as Pena continued to drive westbound outside of the Rio Grande City jurisdiction, prompting other law enforcement agencies to assist.

The Starr County Sheriff's Office located Pena's vehicle between Roma and Escobares city limits to conduct a felony stop.

Deputies recovered a firearm in Pena's vehicle, which matched the caliber of the casing found at the scene of the shooting.

"We all need to learn a little bit more patience. Nobody gets behind the wheel with the intention of going to crash. They're trying to get from point A to point B," said Interim Police Chief Solis.

The woman injured in the incident is in the hospital and remains in stable condition.

"Luckily, victim is in good condition, you know, but she was just an innocent bystander going about her day," Solis said. "Hopefully this is a eye opener for everyone, that for every action that a person takes, there is a consequence."