NASHUA, N.H (WHDH) – Nashua police have made an arrest after a man was caught on video shoving woman to the ground in apparent road rage attack. The man claims he was acting in self defense and that police arrested the wrong person.
Ricardo Montanez, 28, of Hudson, was arrested Tuesday morning in connection with the weekend incident and charged with simple assault.
Jennifer Needham, who recorded the video, said the incident happened Sunday at noon near the 99 Restaurant on Amherst Street in Nashua.
She said the two cars were beeping at each other before Montanez approached the woman’s car, screamed at her and flailed his arms. He then walked back to his car. Needham then took out her phone.
Needham’s video shows the woman getting out of her car and walking up to Montanez’s car. Montanez then got out of his car and shoved the woman into the snow.
Montanez told 7’s Byron Barnett that the woman was swearing and hurling racial epithets.
“She punched my window with keys,” said Montanez. “She was yelling at me, calling me a bunch of different things, at which point I pushed her out of my way because she was in my personal space.”
Montanez claims he shoved the woman to protect himself.
“I feel like I was just protecting myself in that situation,” Montanez said. “She got back up and punched me right in my back.”
Nashua Police were called to the scene and determined that it was an incident likely caused by road rage.
Montanez was released on $5,000 personal recognizance.
He is slated to be arraigned in March.
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