HOUSTON – A man charged in connection with two road rage shootings targeted women because of his misogynistic views, according to prosecutors.
Nicholas Dagostino, 29, appeared in court Thursday night on an aggravated assault charge in connection with a March 7 shooting.
Investigators said Dagostino shot a woman driver from his SUV as she was leaving a gas station on the Katy Freeway. She was hit in the arm.
This is Dagostino’s second charge in connection with a road rage shooting. He was also charged with aggravated assault in connection with the July 10 shooting of a woman while she as driving in the Cinco Ranch area. She also suffered an injury to her arm.
In court documents related to the March 7 shooting, investigators said Dagostino’s social media posts showed “that he held a very dim view of women.”
Dagostino shook his head as prosecutors detailed some of those social media posts during Thursday night’s hearing.
“The officer has seen the defendant’s Facebook posts where he rants and rambles about female motorists and how incompetent they are – that their sole purpose is to give birth to male children,” prosecutors said.
When he was arrested in July, deputies said Dagostino admitted to being involved in five other similar shootings.
For the July case, Dagostino had posted bond. The husband of the victim, in that case, said their family was uneasy. The husband said his wife was shot in her arm and the bullet had moved towards her chest. The victim had the bullet removed about two weeks ago, according to her husband.
The judge ordered Dagostino held in jail on $250,000 bond in probable cause court Thursday night. Friday morning, attorneys said a judge had revoked the $75,000 bond for the July incident and instead reinstated a $400,000 bond for both charges.
Katy drivers were relieved.
"Much more comfortable. That's for sure. I do a lot of shopping here on Mason Road," said Janet Edwards, a local driver who saw the commotion the day of the July shooting.
"You never know if your family is pumping gas out here and something similar can happen," said J.R. Castro who frequents the gas station on Katy Freeway.