A local man has been hit with three felony assault charges for pointing what was believed to be a gun at three motorists.

Marcus David Garcia, 30, of McMinnville has been hit with three counts of aggravated assault, as well as drug charges, for the incident which took place Tuesday night on Sparta Highway.

According to the warrant for his arrest, Garcia held a piece of rebar out the window while he was a passenger in a white Chevy Impala driven by Ruth Townsend. Garcia was reportedly holding the rebar tucked under his armpit with one hand midway down the rebar as if to simulate the way a person would hold a rifle.

“Three victims in the other car stated they were in fear for their lives and wrote statements each stating he pointed what they thought was a rifle out the window toward their direction,” the arrest warrant states.

The victims called 911 in the area of Powers Four-Lane BP at approximately 6:45 p.m. McMinnville Police pulled over the vehicle around the city limits. When questioned by officers, Townsend reportedly corroborated the information presented by the victims, saying Garcia was in the passenger seat when he pulled the stunt with the rebar.

A search of the vehicle found drugs. Garcia and Townsend were both charged with manufacture, delivery or sale of a schedule VI substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff’s Department Major Jason Walker said the often-hostile environment on the road is not the place to point anything at another motorist.

“With road rage the way it is today, no one needs to be pretending to point a gun,” said Walker.

Under the statue for assault and aggravated assault, no actual bodily harm has to occur in order for charges to be leveled. All that’s required is for the victim to be placed in legitimate fear of harm.