How Elmhurst Road Rage Incident Went Down: Cops

ELMHURST, IL – A 23-year-old woman and a 62-year-old man got into a confrontation in Elmhurst after the woman apparently cut off the man while driving on Lake Street, police said.

Gabriela B. Raia, of West Palm Beach, Florida, was charged with battery, while Mark R. Okonieski, of Streamwood, was charged with disorderly conduct.

On the afternoon of Nov. 17, Raia, who was driving a white box truck with a trailer carrying a van, tried to change lanes on Lake Street on the approach to York Street.

But she said she did not see Okonieski, who honked at her, according to a police report obtained by Patch. She then stopped her car. So did Okonieski.

Okonieski told officers that when he pulled up his car next to Raia's, he asked, "What the f--- are you doing?" Raia was said to have replied with an obscene gesture.

Okonieski said he then got out of his car to speak with Raia, who got out as well. She threatened Okonieski by saying, "I will f--- you up," then threw a cup of coffee at him, according to the report.

Then, according to the report, Raia punched Okonieski in the face. She said she pushed his face away, police said.

In her interview, Raia said she got out to properly defend herself, threw coffee at Okonieski and pushed him, police said. She said that was because Okonieski was aggressively approaching her.

After the fight, Raia drove to the nearby Thorntons gas station at Lake and York. Okonieski called the police and went to the station, which is where officers conducted interviews.