SAN ANTONIO, TX – A Bexar County couple is facing felony charges after authorities say they opened fire on another driver during a road rage incident along Interstate 10 that began when a passing vehicle splashed water onto their car. Daniel Jude Jimenez Jr., 32, and Lois Badillo-Lopez, 29, were each charged with aggravated assault for discharging a firearm from a vehicle and child endangerment, according to court records.
The investigation began on July 11 after a man called police to report he had been involved in a shootout on westbound I-10. According to arrest affidavits cited by local reports, the encounter started moments earlier on East Houston Street near the interstate when the man’s vehicle drove through a puddle, splashing the defendants’ car.
Road rage escalates to gunfire on interstate
As both vehicles merged onto the highway, the victim told police he saw Jimenez “accelerate” and pull alongside his vehicle. The man said Jimenez lowered his window and attempted to get his attention. When the driver rolled down his own window, he reported seeing Jimenez holding a black handgun with “a red-dot optic,” adding that Jimenez was “waving it” in his direction.
Fearing for his safety, the driver told investigators he “retrieved his lawfully possessed handgun.” According to the affidavits, Jimenez then “immediately fired multiple rounds” into the man’s vehicle as he turned toward him.
The victim told police he returned fire before exiting at South Gevers Street and driving home, where he contacted 911. Officers later documented at least five apparent bullet strikes in the lower driver-side door of his vehicle. He was not injured.
Dashcam footage obtained by investigators reportedly corroborated the sequence of events, capturing the puddle splash, the vehicles merging onto I-10, the “exchange of gunfire,” and the victim exiting the freeway.
Child present during shooting, investigators say
Detectives later used license plate information from the video to identify Jimenez’s vehicle, which was located about a week later at his apartment complex. Investigators observed what appeared to be a gunshot strike on the rear passenger-side door.
During interviews, Badillo-Lopez admitted the couple’s 2-year-old child was seated in the rear passenger seat during the shooting. According to investigators, after seeing the other driver display a weapon, she retrieved her own handgun, inserted a loaded magazine, chambered a round, and handed it to Jimenez.
Badillo-Lopez told investigators the other driver fired first. Jimenez also claimed he began shooting only after the other motorist opened fire, according to the affidavits.
Authorities noted that, unlike the other driver, neither Jimenez nor Badillo-Lopez contacted law enforcement after the incident. Investigators also allege the couple discarded spent shell casings.
Court records show both defendants were held on $150,000 bonds. Jimenez has since posted bond and been released, while Badillo-Lopez remained in custody as of Tuesday morning. Both are scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 20.
