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U. Darby man charged in road-rage incident

A 24-year-old Upper Darby man, infuriated that a woman had honked at him in an intersection, pulled a gun on her and her 2-year-old daughter and said, "You're dead," police said yesterday.

A 24-year-old Upper Darby man, infuriated that a woman had honked at him in an intersection, pulled a gun on her and her 2-year-old daughter and said, "You're dead," police said yesterday.

Deaone McNeal, of the 1600 block of Garrett Road, was arrested near his home Saturday after the victim called 911 from her car, Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said. McNeal denied having a gun, but when police searched his vehicle, Chitwood said, they found a .45-caliber, semiautomatic pistol loaded with 16 hollow-point bullets.

Police also found McNeal's 7-year-old daughter terrified in the backseat, Chitwood said.

"He had enough firepower to start a war," Chitwood said. "She was lucky."

McNeal was charged with several misdemeanors, including simple assault, stalking and harassment, and endangering the welfare of a child. His bail was set at $5,000, and McNeal posted the 10 percent needed for release. He could not be reached for comment. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Oct. 20.

A more violent road-rage episode occurred Sunday night on the Schuylkill Expressway. A 41-year-old Camden County man was shot in the head, and his 8-year-old daughter was unharmed when someone shot at least three bullets into the man's SUV. The man, who had pulled off on the shoulder, made a hand gesture at another driver when trying to merge back onto the highway, his daughter told police.

In Upper Darby, the 21-year-old victim was attempting to turn at Long Lane and Marshall Road at 5:40 p.m. when McNeal ran a red light and almost hit her, she told police.

McNeal then chased her, trying to run her off the road, Chitwood said. He pulled alongside her and shouted obscenities. She rolled up her window, and when she looked again, he was pointing a gun at her.

She used her cell phone to call 911, and McNeal took off. She gave the police McNeal's license plate number, and they found him shortly after.

McNeal was wearing an empty holster when police pulled him over, but he denied he had a gun. The extended clip McNeal was using holds seven more bullets than the nine-round clip that Upper Darby police typically carry, Chitwood said.

McNeal was granted a permit in January to carry a concealed weapon, Chitwood said. McNeal stated self-defense as his reason for needing the permit. Two months later, he was arrested for aggravated assault and simple assault, Chitwood said. More information on the earlier charges were not immediately available yesterday.

Chitwood kept McNeal's gun, and said he aims to get the permit taken away, too.

"It's done. I'll burn it," he said.