A case of road rage on Highway 17 ended in an arrest after a fight that involved a machete at Victor Square in Scotts Valley.
Cheyenne Beren Young, 38, of Santa Cruz, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after pulling out machete more than two feet long in a fit of road rage at 3:34 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 20.
The victim, a 35-year-old Scotts Valley man, ended up with minor injuries, including a cut on his shin from the machete and some scratches, said California Highway Patrol officer Sarah Jackson.
Witnesses said Young had been driving erratically on southbound Highway 17 near Roy C. Davis Trucking Co., near the Ocean Honda billboard. The victim braked, and Young tapped his bumper and became enraged. Young signaled to the man to pull over, and the fight ensued in the parking lot of the Victor Square shopping center.
Two nearby CHP officers were finishing their lunch outside of Scotts Valley Market when they heard yelling, according to witnesses.
“The officers tried to tase Young, but it bounced off the machete, so they pulled out their guns,” Jackson said.
Jane Hansen, 55, of San Jose, said she thought it was burglary at first.
“I was like, ‘Wow!’ when I saw the police yelling and all the commotion,” Hansen said.
While Young was detained in a police car, he apologized repeatedly to the victim.
Jackson said road rage is not uncommon, and there have been cases in the county that have turned out deadly.
“If you’re ever in a road rage situation, do not stop and pull over,” Jackson said. “Call 911, or pull into the nearest police station.”
