Latest news with #AlyssaSoto
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
Arizona woman sentenced to five years in jail for firing gun at family during driving row
An Arizona woman will spend the next five years behind bars for shooting at a family during a fit of road rage. Alyssa Soto, 25, from Mesa, unleashed the violent road rage attack in August 2024 when she pulled her car alongside a Tesla at a red light and aggressively hurled curses at the family inside. As the traffic light turned green and the other car began to drive off, Soto pulled out a 9mm handgun and fired a single round directly at their vehicle. On Saturday, Soto was sentenced after she pled guilty to one count of drive-by shooting, a felony charge. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said: 'Firing a gun at a family because you are angry is not a mistake - it's a dangerous, criminal choice.' On August 7, 2024, at around 8pm, the victims were driving through the Phoenix suburb with their 19-month-old child when they merged lanes, reported KOLD News. At that moment, Soto, in 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 at the traffic light, the victim responded to the unprovoked attack by making a hand gesture toward enraged Soto. Seconds after the light turned green and both cars began moving forward, Soto was filmed as she pulled out a small gun, aimed it out of her window at the family's Tesla and fired - a flash was visible with the shot. Fortunately, the bullet did not strike any family members inside the car and it also sustained no damage, according to the attorney's office. However, the victims contacted the police to provide video evidence of the violent encounter - ultimately confirming details of the attack. Investigators found a shell casing and bullet near the intersection of North Higley Road and East McKellips Drive, which resulted in a search warrant being obtained. Nine days later, during the search of Soto's home, authorities discovered the handgun in her boyfriend's truck, reported KOLD News. Soto then reportedly admitted to the shooting, according to the outlet, and was taken into custody at the property. Following her arrest, Soto told police that the other driver 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 other driver 'clipped' her vehicle, KOLD reported. Last week, the attorney's office announced Soto's sentencing at the Arizona Department of Corrections. In a news release: attorney Mitchell said: 'There is no place for this kind of treacherous behavior in our community. 'If you choose violence in Maricopa County, you will face serious consequences.'
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
Road rage Karen filmed opening fire on car with child inside gets very satisfying punishment
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.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Woman sentenced for Mesa drive-by shooting filmed by Tesla cameras
A woman pleaded guilty to a road rage-fueled drive-by shooting that took place in 2024 and has been sentenced to five years in an Arizona prison, according to Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. The shooting was captured by the victim's built-in Tesla cameras, which provided key evidence in the case, Mitchell's statement said. 'Firing a gun at a family because you are angry is not a mistake ― it's a dangerous, criminal choice,' Mitchell said in the statement. The shooting occurred in August 2024 near Higley and McKellips roads in Mesa and involved a man driving a Tesla with his wife and infant inside, according to the statement. The other vehicle was driven by 25-year-old Alyssa Soto. Soto pulled up next to the family and began shouting profanities at the Tesla driver, prompting him to make a hand gesture in response, the statement said. That gesture prompted Soto to pull out a handgun and fire at the Tesla as it drove away, according to the statement. Although no one in the Tesla was injured and the vehicle was not damaged, police found a 9mm shell casing on the roadway. Nine days later, officers arrested Soto at her Mesa home after identifying her through traffic camera footage. A 9mm handgun was later recovered from the trunk of her boyfriend's vehicle, according to Mitchell's statement. Soto would later admit to the shooting and confirm she was the person seen in the Tesla footage. She pleaded guilty to one count of drive-by shooting, a class two felony. 'There is no place for this kind of treacherous behavior in our community. If you choose violence in Maricopa County, you will face serious consequences," added the county attorney. Contact reporter Rey Covarrubias Jr. at rcovarrubias@ Follow him on Instagram, X, Threads and Bluesky: @ReyCJrAZ. Victim remembered: Dad and husband killed outside Mesa Home Depot helped many in recovery from addiction This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mesa drive-by shooter filmed by Tesla sentenced to 5 years in prison
