Suspect allegedly drove car at two women, yelled homophobic slurs in Boise, police say
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Mia Maldonado, Idaho Statesman
BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Boise police arrested a 31-year-old man who allegedly threatened and yelled a homophobic slur at two women and intentionally drove his car at them, according to a Boise Police Department news release. Authorities said they had been searching for him since Saturday.
Matthew Lehigh has been charged with three counts of felony aggravated assault.
Officers on Wednesday afternoon responded to a report of a hit and run on the 1000 block of North Americana Boulevard around 2 p.m. Wednesday, according to the news release. The two women were standing next to their vehicle when the suspect allegedly drove his car at them. The women dodged his vehicle, causing him to hit their vehicle and immediately flee the scene, police said.
Two hours after the incident, detectives from the Violent Crime Unit located the vehicle and suspect in a parking lot near the 8200 block of West Fairview Avenue. Police said they then identified the suspect as Lehigh.
According to the press release, detectives have been searching for Lehigh after receiving reports of a similar incident that took place in a downtown Boise business near the 700 block of South Capitol Boulevard.
Lehigh allegedly hit a victim’s arm and used the same homophobic slur at a business on Saturday. The business’s security staff member then followed Lehigh into the parking lot, who then intentionally drove his vehicle toward the worker. The security member jumped out of the way, police said, and the suspect fled the scene.
Boise police arrested Lehigh and booked him into the Ada County Jail on Wednesday.
“Detectives are continuing to investigate as evidence shows Lehigh may be involved in other recent crimes targeting the LGBTQ+ community,” police said in the release.
Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call Ada County Dispatch at 208-377-6790 or contact the Boise Police Department LGBTQ Liaison Officer, Dan Lister, at dlister@cityofboise.org. To make an anonymous tip, call Crimestoppers at 208-343-COPS.