Driver accused of pointing gun at passing vehicle

EPHRATA – An Oregon man faces a felony charge of second-degree assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly pointing a handgun at a passing vehicle on State Route 243 near Crab Creek in Grant County Tuesday afternoon.

No shots were fired and no one was injured in the incident, according to a Washington State Patrol report.

The alleged victim was a male subject riding as a passenger in a Toyota pickup that passed a Chevy pickup on the highway around 2:20 p.m. When the two vehicles were beside each other, the complainant said the driver of the Chevy pointed a handgun at him.

The complainant, who later said he feared for his life, called 911 and provided a description to authorities of the driver, gun, and vehicle, including a barbecue grill in the bed of the truck. A WSP trooper in Kittitas County located the Chevy exiting Interstate 90 and stopping at a gas station near Ellensburg.

The suspect, identified as 21-year-old Avant Ortiz of Umatilla, Oregon, was taken into custody. A female passenger was also initially detained, and a handgun and a semiautomatic “AR type” rifle were recovered from Ortiz’s truck. Neither firearm had been reported as stolen, according to the State Patrol report.

When questioned, Ortiz allegedly admitted to driving his pickup in Grant County and being passed by the Toyota, which he said “slammed on (its) brakes in front of him.” Ortiz said he then rolled down his window and pointed his finger at the other vehicle, the report stated.

Ortiz was booked into the Grant County Jail and charged with the assault felony in a filing submitted Wednesday morning in superior court.