Driver intentionally slams car carrying a woman and 3 children, NC sheriff says

A man with no driver’s license was using his car as “a deadly weapon” when he rammed into a woman driving with three children, according to investigators in eastern North Carolina.

The collision happened Sunday on N.C. 70 near Kinston, and the four victims did not suffer serious injuries, the Lenoir County Sheriff said in a March 31 news release.

“Upon arrival, deputies determined the crash was an intentional act of violence,” the sheriff’s office said.

“The suspect, the father of one of the children involved, was driving alongside his girlfriend, who had three small children in the vehicle. During the incident, the suspect rammed the victim’s vehicle, forcing it off the roadway before fleeing the scene.”

Deputies identified the suspect as 48-year-old Roberto Rosado Davila, and he was arrested the same day at his home in Lenoir County, officials said.

Details of a motive have not been released, but investigators said the case involved a domestic dispute.

Davila has been charged with:

• Four counts of assault with a deadly weapon
• Injury to personal property
• No operators license
• Fictitious registration plate
• No liability insurance

Kinston is about an 80-mile drive southeast from downtown Raleigh.

This story was originally published April 1, 2026 at 7:17 AM with the headline "Driver intentionally slams car carrying a woman and 3 children, NC sheriff says."