JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. — A man has been charged in connection with a road rage incident that happened in Jefferson County on Friday.
According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Mark Casteel, 36, has been charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action for stabbing a 44-year-old man in the neck at Valle Lake in De Soto.
The incident apparently started when an ATV, driven by the victim, drove through a neighborhood near Highway V and Roberts Drive for "quite some time," a spokesperson for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said.
According to court documents, the victim was on the ATV with his girlfriend.
A Toyota Corolla driven by Casteel came alongside the ATV and forced it off the road. Court documents said Casteel and the driver of the ATV engaged in a road rage incident, which led to both vehicles stopping.
Casteel got out of his car and assaulted the 44-year-old victim and the victim's girlfriend. While on the ground, Casteel hit the man several times and then used a sharp instrument, which appeared to be a knife on the victim's neck, according to court documents.
The victim of the stabbing was airlifted to a hospital – that person’s vitals were stable, but a condition has not been made available.
When Casteel got back in his car, the passenger inside told police he noticed Casteel was covered in blood and had a cut on his arm. The passenger said when he asked Casteel what happened, Casteel only stated, "I'm going to prison."
Deputies said they searched Casteel's home and property, with his permission, and found a knife covered in blood outside the house. It was taken in as evidence.
Casteel is being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond.
