Woman Pepper-Sprayed in Road Rage Attack, Cops Say

A Bloomfield teen pepper-sprayed a woman during a road rage incident last week near the corner of Liberty Street and John F. Kennedy Drive, police said.

Rajee Montgomery, 18, was charged with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon.

According to Bloomfield Police, a 51-year-old female township resident reported on May 14 to Officer Mark Moskal at police headquarters that she was involved in a road rage incident earlier that morning at 8:45 a.m.

She said a man driving a small white car cut her off, causing her to take evasive action, police said.

The woman told Moskal that after getting cut off, she stopped at a traffic light, where the white car pulled up next to her, police said.  Montgomery, the driver of the white car, allegedly sprayed a liquid from his car through the open passenger window that struck her in the face.

The victim said her face started to burn, her eyes started to tear and the man left the area in his car on Spruce Street, police said. The victim went to work, where an attending nurse treated her before she reported the incident.

The victim gave Moskal the license plate number of the vehicle that was involved in the road rage incident. The DMV indicated the vehicle belonged to Montgomery, police said.

Officers Hector Nunez and Jon Donker found Montgomery inside his Bloomfield home. During an interview, Montgomery admitted being involved in the road rage incident and that he sprayed the victim with pepper spray, police said.

Montgomery voluntarily turned over the can of pepper spray to the officers, the Bloomfield police report said. Montgomery was arrested and brought to police headquarters where he was charged.

Judge John Paparazzo placed bail at $15,000 and set a tentative court date for Thursday.