An area man faces eight felony charges after a Missouri State Highway Patrol investigation of road rage incident on Sept. 13.
Devon C. Rodriguez, born in 1998, whose address in court documents is North Fleetwood Street in Ava, is charged with two counts of assault – first degree, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child – first degree, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon – exhibiting – first degree, property damage – first degree and resisting or interfering with an arrest for a felony. He is also charged with misdemeanors of driving while intoxicated – person less than 17 years of age in vehicle and operating a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner.
According to a trooper’s report, the officer responded to a residence on Rogers Avenue in Cabool regarding a man making threats with a gun. Contact was made with Cabool Police Department officers who had a man detained and indicated the incident had originated on eastbound U.S. 60, east of Highway MM.
The trooper reportedly spoke with the man – Rodriguez – and smelled a strong odor of alcohol and observed that his eyes were bloodshot and glassy. Rodriguez then admitted he had consumed alcohol and a field sobriety test was conducted.
During the investigation, the trooper learned that Rodriguez had two boys in his vehicle, a red Dodge Durango, ages 6 and 6 months.
Rodriguez reportedly became unruly while standing next to the trooper’s patrol car and resisted when the officer tried to place him in the vehicle. He was eventually put in the vehicle but continued to yell and resist.
The officer reported speaking to two people who were in the other vehicle involved in the incident, and they said they had almost been hit head-on by Rodriguez, who was traveling the wrong way on the highway. The driver reportedly told the trooper he turned his truck around to try to get the license number of the Durango, but while the two vehicles were traveling eastbound side-by-side, Rodriguez intentionally swerved and struck the truck, causing it to run off the roadway with significant damage.
The driver told the trooper Rodriguez also lost control and spun off the highway but got back on and kept going. The driver said he eventually located the Durango and went to take a picture of it, but Rodriguez pulled a gun and pointed it at them while he ran toward them on Rogers Avenue.
As the trooper questioned Rodriguez, he reportedly denied all the allegations, including having a gun. But he eventually admitted to having a pistol and told officers where he had thrown it into a bushy area by his neighbor’s house.
Following an incident in September 2022, Rodriguez was a convicted felon and not eligible to possess a firearm. The gun has not been located after being tossed into an area that’s overgrown and unkept.
Rodriguez was taken to the Texas County Jail.