3 face judge in alleged Worcester road rage incident

WORCESTER, Mass. — Three people appeared in court Thursday in connection with a road rage incident in which a vehicle was allegedly struck by pellets from a pellet gun in Worcester.

Around 9:10 a.m. Wednesday, authorities received a 911 call from a driver reporting a road rage incident in which their vehicle had been shot at.

Police said the caller was traveling along Pleasant Street (Route 122) toward Paxton before pulling into the parking lot of the Paxton Public Safety Complex.

The suspect vehicle allegedly followed the caller into the parking lot and attempted to turn around. Officers quickly stopped the vehicle and detained its three occupants.

Following an investigation, police determined the caller’s vehicle appeared to have been struck by pellets from a pellet gun while traveling on Pleasant Street in Worcester before entering Paxton.

No injuries were reported.

The three occupants of the suspect vehicle were arrested and identified as 44-year-old Carla Michelle Lopez-Reyes, 46-year-old Raquel Lozada-Vega and 40-year-old Roberto Carlos Crespo.

All three were charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and willful and malicious vandalism or defacement of property. Lozada-Vega faces an additional charge of possession of a Class B drug.

Worcester police said the initial report indicated the suspect vehicle was chasing the victim’s vehicle and firing shots from a firearm.

During Thursday’s court proceedings, prosecutors said glass was found in and around the vehicle and that two of its windows were broken.

However, investigators found no evidence of a firearm or shell casings in the reported area.

All three suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges and were held pending dangerousness hearings scheduled for Nov. 18. They denied any wrongdoing or involvement in the incident.

Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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