Motorist pleads guilty in Erie road-rage shooting, faces decades in state prison
In a road-rage incident that started on Interstate 79 in February 2023, Erie police charged a motorist with shooting another motorist in the face and stealing one of the victim's cellphones, which contained a photo of a license plate of the shooter's car.
The violence erupted on a side street near I-79 after the motorists got in an accident on the interstate. One of the motorists fled the accident scene and shot the other motorist, who was unarmed, after the other motorist followed him.
The two main charges against the shooter were the first-degree felonies of attempted homicide and robbery.
The shooter, who told police that he fired the shots, has pleaded guilty to the two main charges and six other counts in Erie County Common Pleas Court. At 28, he is facing decades in state prison.
The shooter, Erie resident Alexander J. Peyton, entered his plea on Tuesday before Judge David Ridge. He pleaded guilty just as jury selection was starting in his trial.
Prosecution, defense both satisfied with outcome
Peyton decided not to fight the substantial evidence against him, including his statements to police. His guilty plea also spares the victim from having to testify at trial.
The guilty plea "is a fair resolution for both sides," Peyton's court-appointed lawyer, Tyler Lindquist, said after the plea hearing.
The prosecutor, Chief Deputy District Attorney Jeremy Lightner, said he was satisfied the case ended in a guilty plea. The prosecution dropped four charges, but they were misdemeanors that would have merged with the more serious charges at sentencing, Lightner said.
Peyton pleaded guilty to all the major charges without a sentencing recommendation. He faces a total of 76 years of incarceration when he is sentenced on March 18, though his potential sentence will likely be less as some other charges merge.
The charges of attempted homicide and robbery will not merge. They each carry maximum sentences of 10 to 20 years in state prison.
Among the lesser charges to which Peyton pleaded guilty are the third-degree misdemeanor of leaving the scene of an accident without rendering aid and the summary offenses of careless driving and driving without a license.
Robbery of cellphone added to evidence against shooter
Had the case gone to trial, Lightner said he had eight witnesses ready to testify. They included police officers and the victim, who was 58 when Peyton shot him with a 9mm handgun.
The victim did not have a gun, police said.
The evidence, Lightner said in court, would show that, following the accident on I-79, Peyton pulled over, "approaches the victim, puts a gun to him and shoots him." He described the incident as one of road rage.
Peyton then took the victim's cellphone with the photo of the license plate, Lightner said in an interview. Peyton told police he had fled the scene of the accident on I-79 because he was driving without a license. Lightner said Peyton's theft of the phone was another attempt to avoid getting caught.
"Our theory of the case is that he took it to hide evidence of his identity," Lightner said.
Peyton has been in the Erie County Prison on $150,000 bond since his arrest days after the shooting.
He said little at the plea hearing, other than to tell the judge he understood his rights. The victim was not at the hearing. He was consulted about the plea and plans to attend Peyton's sentencing, Lightner said.
Police used video to track shooter's Jeep
The shooting happened on Feb. 27 at about 2:15 p.m. in the 1100 block of Garfield Avenue, a short street just north of the I-79 interchange with West 12th Street. Garfield Avenue runs between West 11th and West 12th streets between Lincoln Avenue and a GetGo gas station.
The victim used another cellphone to call for help after he was shot, according to the prosecution He underwent surgery at UPMC Hamot and later recovered at a rehabilitation facility.
The victim was driving an Acura SUV. Peyton was driving a Jeep Patriot.
Police used surveillance video from a number of security cameras to track the route of the Jeep following the shooting. The search led police to Peyton's residence in the 900 block of Cascade Street. Police arrested Peyton there on March 2.
Police said Peyton told investigators he had been driving north on I-79 south of West 12th Street when he got into an accident with another vehicle. He said he fled after the accident because he didn't have a license, and the other vehicle began following him, according to the criminal complaint in the case.
Peyton said the other vehicle continued to follow him until he stopped on Garfield Avenue. Peyton said he got out of his vehicle and confronted the other driver, who was seated in the Acura.
Peyton told police a brief altercation occurred before he drew a handgun from his holster and shot the victim. Peyton drove off in his Jeep.
Emergency crews arrived at the scene. Police said the victim was still wearing his seatbelt.
Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNpalattella.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Motorist pleads guilty to attempted homicide in Erie road-rage case
