MATTHEWS, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A Charlotte man is in custody after allegedly beating a woman with a baton following a road rage incident, police say.
On Feb. 21, around 6:58 p.m., officers with the Matthews Police Department responded to a reported assault in the 100 block of Chesney Glen Drive.
When officers arrived, they spoke to the victim, who said she had been assaulted by an unknown man who had followed her for several miles after a verbal road rage incident. The victim told police that she parked her car and got out, and the man approached her vehicle and broke one of her windows with a baton as officers carry.
Queen City News is tracking CRIME in your area 🚨 >> Latest stories here
The victim also told police that he then started to hit her in the head, neck, and arm with the baton before fleeing the scene.
Following the investigation, police identified the man as James Frederick Washer, 61, of Charlotte. He was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and injury to personal property. The Magistrate’s Office issued arrest warrants for Washer and a search warrant for his vehicle that was believed to have been used during the alleged crime.
On Monday, Feb. 23, Washer was taken into custody at his home and the search warrant was executed on his vehicle. Police found a collapsible baton, as described by the victim, in Washer’s vehicle.
He is currently being held at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center.
