McAllen police say a 3-year-old child was in the car when a 30-year-old Edinburg man fired multiple shots at a vehicle that didn’t let him pass.
The suspect in the case is Erick Cesar, who is charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and a count of endangering a child.
The mobile disturbance began in the area of 802 N. Jackson Road in Pharr after the driver of a Ford F150 Raptor called police to say someone in a white Nissan Frontier was shooting at him and his brother.
“McAllen Dispatch stated (the) victim observed a handgun and was shot at by the suspect several times. McAllen Dispatch advised that the victim was following the suspect,” an affidavit for Cesar’s arrest stated.
Responding officers caught up with Cesar, who pulled over at a Stripes in the 900 block of North Jackson Road, according to the affidavit.
“I quickly exited my McAllen police unit and drew my department issued handgun. From a distance, I yelled at … Erick to show me his hands,” an officer wrote in a report.
Authorities say Cesar complied and stuck both hands out of the driver’s side window.
“I then advised Erick to exit the vehicle to which he complied. Erick then began to make the furtive movement of reaching back into his drivers (sic) side seat. I advised Erick not to be reaching into the vehicle and to get on the floor,” the officer’s report stated.
Police say Cesar complied and he was arrested without further incident.
“I approached the Nissan Frontier for a security sweep for any other passengers. I heard Officer R. Rodriguez ask Cesar where was the gun and Cesar responded that it was inside the vehicle,” another officer wrote in a report.
That’s when police discovered the 3-year-old boy in a child seat in the back area of Cesar’s vehicle.
Police say Cesar provided contact information for the child’s mother, who arrived and picked the boy up.
A search of the vehicle revealed a holster near the center console and an officer who searched the vehicle said he smelled the “distinct odor of gunpowder inside of the Frontier.”
This officer also said he saw a loaded magazine on the passenger seat.
The driver of the Ford Raptor, who called police, said he first noticed the Nissan while traveling on the inside lane of the 2500 block of South Jackson Road and said the Nissan was using the center turn lane to cut off several cars.
“(The driver) stated that he did not allow the Frontier to cut him off for some distance. (The driver) stated that eventually he merged onto the outside lane with the intent to let the Frontier pass,” the affidavit read.
That’s when he and his brother heard several shots fired in their direction, according to police.
“(The driver) stated as the Nissan passed his Ford, Erick began to again fire multiple rounds towards his Ford,” the affidavit stated.
This person also had a handgun in his center compartment, but told police he did not use or display it in any manner.
As for Cesar, he told police he shot in self defense.
Investigators found bullet holes in the Raptor and say they recovered a Smith & Wesson and Beretta inside Cesar’s Nissan.
Police also say they found a bullet hole inside Cesar’s vehicle as well as a spent casing.
Cesar bailed out of county jail Sunday on a total of $30,000 in bonds, records show.
