NEW BRAUNFELS, TX – A 66-year-old Texas man faces serious charges after allegedly attacking another driver with a machete-like knife during a road rage incident, authorities said.
Michael Martin Ochwat was apprehended on Wednesday and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to the New Braunfels Police Department. The arrest follows an altercation that occurred Monday near the intersection of North Market Avenue and East San Antonio Street.
Police responded to a call around noon reporting a stabbing. Upon arrival, officers found a 55-year-old man with a severe slash wound to his upper body. Paramedics provided immediate medical care before transporting the victim to a hospital, where he was listed in serious but stable condition. The victim has since been discharged.
Preliminary investigations suggest the incident began as a traffic dispute. Both drivers exited their vehicles, leading to a confrontation during which Ochwat allegedly brandished a machete-like knife and attacked the other driver.
Ochwat was taken into custody without incident after an arrest warrant was served on Wednesday afternoon. He was subsequently booked into the Comal County Jail but has since been released on a $50,000 bond.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the altercation. They urge anyone with additional information to come forward.