Man charged with vehicular assault

A man was struck by a car in a sequence which allegedly started with a plot to kidnap and kill his wife. The truth of the matter is still under hot debate between the driver of the car and the man knocked to the pavement.

The suspect, Jamier Ramerez Lopez Jr., 22, is charged with vehicular assault for striking Patrick Lynn Cunningham with his white, Chevy Blazer on Oriole Drive near Partridge Meadows Apartments. Warrants filed against Lopez by Cunningham maintain Lopez swerved over and hit the victim, catching him with the car?s rearview mirror as he was walking on the side of the street.

?Mr. Lopez sped up and hit me with his driver?s side door mirror, knocking me into the ditch,? said Cunningham in his felony warrant, noting there were eyewitnesses to the incident.

However, Lopez reportedly maintained he never struck Cunningham, but instead that Cunningham jumped into the street trying to flag him down and then kicked and punched at his car as he (Lopez) slowly drove by. Lopez admitted he did not want to stop for Cunningham, believing there could be a confrontation if he did.

Whether Cunningham was intentionally struck will be determined by the court.

In addition to that incident, a claim made concerning Lopez and another man is being investigated by police. Specifically, the wife of the alleged victim in the vehicular assault maintains she had received word that there were some Hispanic males who intended to abduct her and another woman, take them to Mexico and kill them.

The rumor was reportedly what may have sparked some friction leading up to the vehicular assault incident. Police are questioning suspects in the case to determine if there was ever a kidnapping conspiracy. Lopez had reportedly denied any part in such a conspiracy. Cunningham suffered minor injuries when he was struck by the passing vehicle.