Man Accused Of Assault, Robbery Of Teen Arrested By Tulsa Police

A man accused of assaulting and robbing a teenager after a road rage incident has been arrested by Tulsa Police.

Police say Giovanni Lopez and the 16-year-old victim were both driving south on 169 when Lopez rear-ended the boy’s car the first time. He left that scene and went to a nearby business and began punching people, according to investigators.

The victim got off at 31st Street and says Lopez rear-ended his car again. The teenager told Police Lopez was yelling for the teenager to get out of his car and fight, and then yanked open the victim’s door, pulled him out, and punched him in the face. Officers say Lopez then went to a business nearby and punched a couple of other people in the face.

Police say Lopez blamed the whole thing on alcohol. Officers say if you’re in a car wreck and don’t feel safe pulling over, listen to your instincts.

"We always want to say, you know, trust your gut,” said Danny Bean, a Public Information Officer for Tulsa Police. “For sure. If you see any kind of red flags if you don't want to stop, call the police, get on the phone."

Officers say if you call them and stay on the line, they can find you and help you work through it.

"You can get on the phone and, ‘hey, this guy hit me, now he's chasing me, now he's yelling at me,'” said Bean. “We can get there faster, that's just a good way to do it. He definitely didn't do anything wrong. He didn't know what was going on, the 16-year-old didn't make himself a victim here. It was just a bad thing that happened."

Police say road rage incidents are something too and it’s important to pay attention to the drivers around you.

“Just being aware of your surroundings, especially while you're driving, and if something happens of course, just to be aware it's something that does happen and to look out for it," said Bean.

Police say Lopez is a convicted felon and was arrested for first-degree robbery by force or fear, hit and run, assault and battery, no driver’s license, no insurance, and for transporting an open container.