Road rage turns into car ramming, gunpoint robbery

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation,

In Salem a road rage incident turned into chaos as one man rammed his car repeatedly into another.  This was followed by the man getting out with a rifle, breaking the car window, and demanding their money.  The problem in Oregon is that since state leaders have released thousands of prisoners out early over the years, it means when you get involved in a road rage incident you might find yourself in a scuffle with a fearless violent criminal.  In this case, the criminal didn’t want just revenge, but rather your money and your vehicle.

Salem Police report, “On January 29, 2026, Salem Police Violent Crimes Unit detectives, in collaboration with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested Nathan Johnathan Muniz, 29, of Salem, and seized a firearm related to a road rage incident that escalated into robbery and assault. The arrest stems from an incident on January 16, 2026, when victims reported being menaced with a firearm during a road rage encounter near Sunnyside Road and Boone Road SE. According to the victims, Muniz repeatedly rammed their vehicle with his white Toyota Tundra before stopping, breaking the driver’s window with an AR style carbine rifle, and pointing the weapon at them while demanding money. The victims drove away and contacted police. Violent Crimes Unit detectives identified Muniz as the suspect after locating the vehicle he used. A search warrant was executed at Muniz’s residence on Sunnyside Road SE, where detectives and ATF agents recovered an AR style carbine rifle with a collapsible stock matching the victims’ description and damaged vehicle body parts consistent with Muniz’s Tundra.”