A road rage incident escalated into gun violence this past Saturday, leaving one woman wounded in northwest Harris County, as reported by the Harris County Sheriff's Office. The confrontation began near FM-529 and Glen Chase, when a male driver, later identified as 33-year-old Franklin Sael Alvarado, was accused of driving aggressively and abruptly cutting off another vehicle, a red Ford F-150, which was carrying three passengers, as reported by Click2Houston.
Following the aggressive maneuver, which led to both vehicles stopping, deputies relayed that the driver of the F-150 honked at Alvarado, who then retaliated by retrieving a shotgun from his vehicle. According to Click2Houston, as the F-150 attempted to flee the scene, Alvarado fired toward its back, striking a female passenger with projectile fragments. The victim, 41, was taken to the hospital in fair condition with injuries deemed not life-threatening.
The suspect fled the scene, but Sheriff Ed Gonzalez stated that Alvarado was arrested shortly thereafter, his vehicle having stalled. Despite not recovering a weapon, evidence from the suspect's car was collected. Facing charges now, Alvarado is charged with one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of third-degree deadly conduct as detailed by KHOU. While speaking to deputies, Alvarado contested the allegation, claiming he had not cut off the other vehicle as his car was stalled due to mechanical issues. Alvarado was booked into the Harris County Jail, where he remains awaiting further proceedings.
