Man arrested for assaulting, pointing gun at 70-year-old victim

WHITE CITY, Ore. – A man was arrested following a reported road rage incident that ended in White City.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said just before 4:00 p.m. on March 8, they received multiple reports of a physical fight between two men in the parking lot of the White City Dollar Tree store. One of the men was said to be armed with a handgun.

Deputies arrived at the scene within two minutes of the first call. 37-year-old Julio Aneudis Romano-Baez, who had a handgun in his possession, was taken into custody.

JSCO said an investigation revealed Romano-Baez and a 70-year-old man were involved in a “road rage” incident while driving on Highway 62. Both vehicles stopped in the Dollar Store parking lot where Romano-Baez reportedly punched the victim and pointed a handgun at him.

Romano-Baez was lodged in the Jackson County Jail on charges of fourth-degree assault, menacing, carrying a concealed weapon and second-degree disorderly conduct. He was not injured. The victim received minor facial injuries.

JSCO wrote the following after the crime: “This incident was witnessed by several people at nearby businesses and in the parking lot. Deputies urge bystanders to consider their own safety when they find themselves in a similar situation. While JSCO respects the rights of citizens to observe and to record law enforcement encounters, deputies remind everyone that remaining near a volatile scene is inherently dangerous and should be avoided when possible.”