ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A couple who had a gun pointed at them during a road rage incident is telling their story. It comes a day after a judge ordered the suspect released from jail.
The couple, who didn’t want to be identified, say they’re lucky to be alive. “And I said ‘What’s up, excuse me?’ and he goes ‘Oh, what’s up!’ and he pulls his, reaches his hand down by his seat, pulls up his Glock, starts pointing it at me,” says one of the victims.
The victim says 27-year-old Walter Verner is the man they had an encounter with on October 11th as he and his wife tried to merge onto Paseo Del Norte from 2nd St. They say when Verner refused to let him in.
“Two cars had gone by, it was clearly my turn, so I went. The man behind me pulls up, window down, hand out the window blaring, “What’s up, what’s up? It’s my turn,“ says the victim.
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That’s when things escalated. “Pointing the gun directly at my wife’s face so I said ‘okay okay,’ and I put my hands up,” says the victim.
The couple called 911. They say Verner then sped ahead of them, and that’s when they noticed a child in the back seat. They later learned it was his three-year-old son.
“I mean, for someone to be ballsy enough to do that in front of your child… If he would’ve pulled the trigger, my wife could be dead, I could be dead, he could’ve gotten us both, who knows?” says the victim.
The 911 dispatcher told the couple to head to the nearest gas station. They were surprised to see the suspect had pulled into the same place.
The male victim says he confronted the suspect, who admitted he pulled a gun because he was angry. Police arrived shortly afterward and arrested Verner for aggravated assault and child abuse.
The victims have since learned that Verner has a violent history, including domestic violence and battery arrests. The victims say they are thankful to be alive.
“You get away with pulling guns on people, the next thing you know, you’re shooting at people, and the next thing you know, you’re killing people,” says the victim.
Prosecutors did file a pretrial detention motion trying to keep Verner locked up until trial, but Judge Britt Baca Miller denied it instead, ordering Verner released to a third party. Judge Baca Miller did order Verner to relinquish any guns he has.
She also wants those he’s living with to file affidavits promising he won’t have access to guns once released. He’ll be released from MDC after that’s complete.
