By Shavonne Potts

shavonne.potts@salisburypost.com

Authorities charged a Rockwell man who they say followed a woman from a local convenience store and fired shots into her car.

The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office charged Donovan Jermaine Rozzel, 39, of the 100 block of Lavista Road, with felony discharging a firearm into an occupied property. 

A report said the woman went to the Kangaroo convenience store in Rockwell Friday night and one of the two men with her shouted to Rozzel to turn down the “black music.” The woman told authorities Rozzel followed them in his car and began flashing his headlights at them. She pulled over on Emmanuel Church Road near the bridge. She said Rozzel fired two shots at the back of her car. She sped away and returned to the gas station and inquired about the man who was inside the store earlier. She found two shell casings in the driveway near where the shots were fired and called law enforcement.

Officers found a bullet hole in the back of the victim’s car just above the bumper, a report said. The bullet went through the back hatch and struck the metal framework above the bumper. The bullet was not recovered. A description of the man was given to store personnel. Authorities were unable to obtain any store video footage. Two days later, store personnel called authorities saying the man had returned and they were able to obtain a license plate number.

A clerk told authorities the man had been in the store and inquired whether sheriff’s deputies had been there looking for a video and whether they obtained the video.

Rozzel denied speaking to the clerk and denied the incident and told a deputy he didn’t know why they were there to arrest him at his home.

Authorities did seize a gun found in a lock box inside Rozzel’s home.

He was arrested Sunday and issued a $2,500 secured bond. He has since been released from the Rowan County Detention Center.

Contact reporter Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253.