Truck Driver Charged in Albuquerque Road Rage Video; Lewis Attorneys Seek Release

A truck driver seen in a road rage video that circulated widely on social media now faces criminal charges in Albuquerque, and public defender Travis Wagman said the development could reshape the case against Jenipher Lewis, who has been jailed since her arrest two days after the video surfaced.

Robert Hagen was charged with aggravated battery, criminal damage to property and leaving the scene of a crash, according to prosecutors. Lewis, whose children were in the back seat of her vehicle, was arrested and charged two days after the video spread with aggravated assault and child abuse.

Court documents show Hagen's truck had no license plate on the rear bumper, which kept him publicly unidentified for days. Records indicate he came forward a week later with an attorney and gave police a recorded statement. Hagen told investigators Lewis broke his window, that he accelerated to try to obtain her license plate, that she brake checked him and that he struck her car from behind. He said he left the scene because he feared for his safety.

Police initially released Hagen without charges. A special investigator took over the case on Oct. 19, and prosecutors then brought counts against him. "It was a second look more than anything else where they saw again the same evidence and realized that they had made a mistake and they needed to move forward on this," Wagman said.

Wagman said the video that spread online showed only part of the confrontation. "It really only captured this moment in time, kind of excluding this other individual who's now been charged, giving us just a one-sided view on a two-sided story," he said.

Lewis remains in custody, and her attorneys said the charges against Hagen could support their request for her release. Hagen's attorneys filed a separate motion to drop the counts against him, arguing police previously described him as a victim who would not face charges.