Road rage Karen filmed opening fire on car with child inside gets very satisfying punishment

Daily Mail​

8 hours ago

An Arizona woman will spend the next five years behind bars for firing a gun at a family during a fit of road rage.
Alyssa Soto, 25, of Mesa, unleashed a violent road rage attack near North Higley Road and McKellips Drive in August 2024 - pulling her GMC alongside the family's Tesla at a red light and aggressively hurling curses.
But just as the light turned green and the family began to drive away, Soto pulled out a 9mm handgun and fired a single round directly at their vehicle.
On Saturday, Soto was sentenced to half a decade in prison after pleading guilty to one count of drive-by shooting, a felony charge.
'Firing a gun at a family because you are angry is not a mistake - it's a dangerous, criminal choice,' Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said.
On August 7, 2024, around 8pm, the victims - whose names have not been released -were driving through the Phoenix suburb with their 19-month-old child when they simply merged lanes, as reported by KOLD News.
At that moment, Soto, driving a black GMC SUV with her child in the car, pulled up alongside the family at a red light.
Video footage from the family's Tesla captured an argument erupting as Soto brought her car to a halt beside them, rolled down her front and back windows and began yelling obscenities.
According to the attorney's office, while still stopped at the traffic light, the victim responded to the unprovoked attack by making a hand gesture toward the enraged mother.
Just seconds after the light turned green and both cars began moving forward, Soto was captured on video pulling out a small gun, aiming it out her window at the family's Tesla and firing - a flash of fire visible with the shot.
Fortunately, the bullet did not strike any family members inside the car. The Tesla also sustained no damage, according to the attorney's office.
However, the victims contacted the police and provided video evidence of the violent encounter - ultimately confirming details of the attack.
Investigators soon found a shell casing and bullet near the intersection, resulting in a search warrant being obtained.
Nine days later, during the search of her home, authorities discovered the handgun in her boyfriend's truck, as reported by KOLD News.
Soto then reportedly admitted to the shooting, according to the outlet, and was swiftly taken into custody at her home.
Following her arrest, the 25-year-old woman told police that the victims cut her off while driving, causing damage to her car.
According to court documents, Soto 'was not trying to hurt anyone, but was so angry and frustrated that she decided to shoot her handgun at the other vehicle.'
Police later revealed that, although the victims' car showed no damage, Soto's car did - though it's unclear whether that damage was pre-existing or related to her claim that the victims 'clipped' her vehicle, KOLD reported.
Court documents also showed that this wasn't Soto's first arrest - she had records for previous convictions relating to several traffic violations, though none appear to have involved violence.
The attorney's office announced last week that Soto was sentenced to five years behind bars at the Arizona Department of Corrections.
'There is no place for this kind of treacherous behavior in our community,' County Attorney Mitchell said in the news release.