Alleged Road Rage Assailants to Stand Trial

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By City News Service

A Grand Terrace man accused of beating a couple with a baseball bat on the shoulder of a freeway while his wife allegedly stood by and watched must stand trial on felony charges, a judge ruled Friday.

Gabriel Elijah Bowker, 20, and Guadalupe Jasmin Bowker-Cadena, 30, of Fontana were arrested in March for an alleged attack on northbound Interstate 15, near Clinton Keith Road in Murrieta.

Following a preliminary hearing at the Southwest Justice Center, Riverside County Superior Court Judge John Monterosso found there was sufficient evidence to warrant a trial for Gabriel Bowker on two counts of attempted murder with sentence-enhancing deadly weapon and great bodily injury allegations.

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• CHP: Parents Attacked by Bat-Wielding Assailant in Road Rage Incident As Kids Watch
• Alleged Road Rage Assailant and Wife Charged in I-15 Bat Assault

Monterosso also ruled there were grounds to bound Jasmin Bowker-Cadena over for trial on a felony accessory charge.

She is free on $5,000 bail; her spouse is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Southwest Detention Center.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the assault happened the night of March 2, when the victims, a Lake Elsinore couple whose names were withheld, and the defendants pulled to the shoulder of the 15 while engaged in a dispute over a lane change.

Bowker allegedly used a baseball bat to strike the victims multiple times, leaving both with major injuries, said CHP Officer Mike Lassig.

He said that the couple’s children -- both under the age of 2 -- were in the car at the time but were not harmed.

Passing motorists called 911, and officers arrived moments later, but the defendants had already fled in their white Honda Civic, Lassig said. The following morning, the pair surrendered to authorities.

The injured couple were treated for serious injuries and remained hospitalized for days, undergoing rehabilitation.

According to court records, Gabriel Bowker has a separate misdemeanor battery case pending from an incident that occurred since he’s been jailed.

If convicted of the attempted murder charges, he could face more than 20 years in prison.