BLUE ASH, Ohio — A woman was able to walk away uninjured Thursday morning after police say a man shot at her car in an act of road rage.
A single bullet traveled through the back driver's side door before moving through the bottom of her seat and landing in the center console area, missing the woman by mere inches, according to the Blue Ash Police Department.
"I think he thought I was trying to be a jerk and go around him. I really wasn't — his car was old," the woman told a dispatcher in her 911 call. "He stopped at the next stop light and threatened to shoot me and I said, 'Are you serious? Did you just pull a gun on me?' He said, 'Yes, b—h I did' and he proceeded to shoot my car."
The shooting happened at the corner of Cornell and Kenwood Roads around 6:30 a.m. Officers arrived not long after.
The suspect drove off after the shooting, but the victim was able to give a license plate number and description of the man and his vehicle to responding officers, Deputy Chief Robert Gerhardt said.
"I'm not going to let somebody get away with shooting at somebody's car," the victim told the dispatcher.
Officers then began notifying additional law enforcement agencies to locate the suspect.
At approximately 7:50 a.m., officers with the Fairfield Township Police Department located 21-year-old Noah Winkler and his vehicle at a residence in Fairfield Township. Winkler was taken into custody, at which time he was cooperating with law enforcement officials, police said.
Officers learned that shortly after the shooting, Winkler tossed his gun in a drainage area near the corner of Grooms and Kemper Roads, less than a mile from where he allegedly pulled the trigger, police said.
Detectives with the Blue Ash Police Criminal Investigations Section along with an Amberley Village PD K-9 unit conducted an article search along the roadside and recovered the firearm used in the shooting — a .380 semi-automatic pistol.
"I think this is just complete lawlessness. It's no regard for human life," Gerhardt said. "I think the victim in this case got very lucky. It's not something that this community is going to tolerate, we're not going to tolerate and we're going to take swift action to make sure that these things don't happen."
Winkler is being charged with one count of attempted murder, one count of felonious assault and one count of tampering with evidence. Police said Winkler has no prior criminal history.
Winkler was in court Friday morning. He's being held at the Hamilton County Jail on a $250,000 bond.
Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact Sgt. Todd Stewart of the Blue Ash Police Criminal Investigations Section at 513-745-8555.
