Charges: Road Rage Leads To Assault Of 49-Year-Old Man
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – Two brothers face assault charges after a St. Paul road rage incident last week that allegedly involved multiple cars, a baseball bat and broken windows.
Nineteen-year-old Marco Spangler and 20-year-old Matthew Spangler each face a second-degree assault charge stemming from a Sept. 6 incident that took place near the intersection of Morton Street and Smith Avenue South.
According to a criminal complaint, the victim – a 49-year-old man -- was extremely upset after he said the Spanglers threw rocks at him, punched him, and smashed his car windows. At the scene, police found the man's Oldsmobile with smashed-out rear and rear passenger side windows and damage to the bumper and trunk.
The victim told police the road rage occurred after he drove out of the SuperAmerica at 577 Smith Avenue around 4 p.m. He was driving south when a black Dodge Challenger pulled out in front of him. He honked his horn, but continued driving. Then the Challenger suddenly stopped, causing the man to nearly rear-end the Challenger. In hopes of "de-escalating" the situation, the man then pulled over on Morton Street.
But the Challenger returned. The Spanglers, the victim said, threw rocks at him, and when he went up to get a description of them, one punched him in the face. The Challenger then sped off.
After the Challenger left, the victim said he tried to call police. But as he was talking to dispatch, he noticed a GMC Yukon, which had turned onto Morton Street, driving right at him. He was barely able to escape being hit by the Yukon before it drove into the side of his car. The Spanglers, the man said, were inside the Yukon, which drove off shortly after.
The victim said a witness then told him that the men in the Yukon were the Spanglers, who returned yet again with a baseball bat.
The criminal complaint said Marco Spangler hung out one of the Yukon's windows, swinging a baseball bat. He smashed the victim's windows and swung at him, striking him on his back and shoulder. The Yukon then sped off again; this time not to return.
Police said several witnesses gave accounts of the incident consistent with that of the victim.
After the Spanglers were found and arrested, both brothers admitted they were involved in the incident, the complaint said. However, the brothers denied that the victim was ever punched or hit with the bat.
The Spanglers are in jail on $20,000 bail. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of seven years in jail and/or a $14,000 fine.
