4-Year-Old Girl Shot In Road Rage Incident; Police Release Suspect And Vehicle Description

Albuquerque police say that they have new details in description of a suspected shooter involved in the death of a four-year-old girl on Tuesday. The man is in his late 20s to early 30s and is driving a late-model Toyota with a rear spoiler and University of New Mexico plates (see full description below), according to KRQE’s Chris McKee. The toddler was shot by one of the four bullets that penetrated her father’s four-door pickup and died before reaching the hospital.

Investigators have not ascertained a motive but suspect that the shooting stemmed from a dispute between the driver of the Toyota and the father of the victim. According to him, the two drivers had never met. Police are treating the shooting as a road rage incident.

"The cars were both moving westbound [on I-40] when one car pulled up against the other and started firing," APD press officer Simon Drobik told the AP .

New Mexico has some of the highest DWI rates in the nation, so road deaths are not uncommon. Road rage shootings, however, are shocking to local police. This is the second road rage shooting in a month.

“I've seen tragic loss of children in car crashes. To me, this is one of those crimes that is unexplainable. There is no way to explain your way out of this,” APD Chief Gorden Eden told KOAT News.

Police published an updated description of the suspected shooter on Wednesday.

Suspect description: White male, mid-20s to early 30s, possibly Hispanic. Short dark hair, possibly with a fade and/or a trimmed goatee.

Car description: Dark red Toyota sedan, 4-door newer model and possibly a Camry or a Corolla. Spoiler mounted on the trunk. Tinted windows.

License Plate: University of New Mexico plate with a Lobo (wolf) logo. Possibly with the digits “200.”