Driver Shot On I-85: “This is Painful”

CHARLOTTE, NC — A man shot in the face while driving on Interstate 85 is speaking.

He wants to know why someone would fire a gun along the highway.

He says this could happen to anyone, and he wants the shooter off the streets.

The bullet is still lodged in Jhonatan Fuentes’ cheek.

“This is painful, ” said Fuentes.

“This is fresh, and I feel bad because the bullet still in my head,” said Fuentes.

His aunt, Teresa Castro, says it’s a constant reminder that he could have died Saturday night.

“You can’t explain because it’s like I said, how did that happen?” said Castro.

His brother, Gerardo Fuentes, was in the passenger seat when it happened just after 7:00 Saturday night.
They were going to the movies on I-85.

They passed the sugar creek road exit, and a bullet blew thorough the windshield.

“I see my brother, and he tell me I have something in my face,” said Gerardo.

Fuentes pulled over, and his brother called 911.

He told the dispatcher in Spanish: “A rock, I don’t know what, maybe a bullet. I don’t know. Call an ambulance fast!”

CMPD is working to find out where the gunfire came from.

“If we find the person who did this, he needs to pay for the actions he committed because it could have been anybody,” said Fuentes’ Cousin Isaac Chavarria.

Family says doctors are waiting for swelling to go down before deciding whether to remove the bullet.

“We are not safe anymore in this country. We do not feel like we are safe anymore,” said Castro.

Fuentes will get a new windshield but family says restoring his peace of mind won’t be so simple.

If you can lead police to the shooter, you could get a cash reward. Call Crime Stoppers and you can remain anonymous.