Las Vegas Metropolitan Police arrested a 60 year old Las Vegas man, Pat Arnold because he allegedly stabbed a man who hit his vehicle but attempted to speed off. The other driver Jorge Moncada had another adult and a driver as a passenger in his vehicle when he rear ended Arnold’s car on Nellis Boulevard and Stewart Avenue. Moncada stated to police he did not have a valid Nevada driver’s license and consumed at least two tall can Bud Lights prior to the accident and left the scene for fear of arrest. After being rear ended, Arnold decided to take it upon himself to chase down the other vehicle, racing through residential streets at speeds near 80 mph. Arnold eventually rammed the vehicle attempting to use a police maneuver called “Pursuit Immobilization Technique, known as a “PIT” maneuver. The cars stopped Arnold got out of his vehicle and used a pocketknife to stab Moncada at least five times. Arnold told police he pulled out the knife because when he approached the vehicle Moncada grabbed him by throat. Arnold was booked on two counts of battery with a deadly weapon, one count of attempted murder with a weapon and one count of child endangerment.
Obviously, Arnold took a bad situation and made it worse, if you are the victim of a hit and run the only thing you should do is immediately get a description of the vehicle and write down its’ license plate number, and report to the police. The act of chasing down the person who hit you can lead to several crimes of its own, and in turn turning the victim into a defendant. Additionally, if you accidentally hit another vehicle, you should never run, because consequences for a hit and run and much more severe than for a simple accident. Especially if someone is harmed, because you would then be charged with a hit and run felony. As for Mr. Arnold, the battery with a deadly weapon counts will be challenge in court, as a vehicle is in fact considered a deadly weapon, like any other weapon that can cause serious injury or death. Mr. Arnold may claim self-defense for the stabbing based on his comment that Moncada grabbed his throat, this will certainly be a point of contention once this case reaches the court room.
Michael A. Troiano, Esq.
Attorney at Law
Source: Las Vegas Sun