71-Year-Old Man Brutally Beaten Up In Minnesota Road Rage, Suspect At Large

A 71-year-old man was brutally beaten up in an apparent road rage Friday in Minnesota and authorities are currently searching for the suspect, media reports said Sunday. The incident took place in Ham Lake when the victim had to brake suddenly to avoid a traffic situation in front of him, according to the Anoka County Sheriff's Office.

The suspect, who got furious, started driving erratically and taunting the victim on the road, authorities said. The suspect reportedly followed the victim to his home. He reportedly punched the victim repeatedly in the face and head. The elderly man suffered several facial fractures and received stitches, according to the sheriff’s office.

"Anyone who would brutally attack a senior citizen in this manner is a clear danger to the public," the sheriff's office said in a statement on Facebook.

A photo of the victim released by police shows the man with a black swollen eye and lacerations on his face.

The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 35 years old, 6 feet tall, short hair, wearing a longer-length leather coat or jacket. Authorities believe he likely has injured his hands while attacking the victim. The suspect's car was described as a new dark silver or grey vehicle, possibly a Mustang, that had dark tinted windows.

A person, who goes by the name AmyJane Johnson on Facebook, said she was the daughter-in-law of the victim. She issued a statement saying the "family is heartbroken and helpless and those are the 2 worst feelings to have."

Johnson appealed the public to help find the "low-life" who hurt her father-in-law.

"It is thought that the beating lasted anywhere from one minute, to a minute and a half...which is a long time for someone to be beaten. After this punk had exhausted himself, he asked my FIL (father-in-law) 'Have you had enough??' before finally taking off. My husband's strong-will comes from his dad, because he was able to get up and get into the house to get help. He was at the hospital all night. A broken nose, broken eye socket, stitches upon stitches, bruising, etc. But no brain damage and thank god...ALIVE!!!" Johnson said in the post.

Police said they believe "there are people who may have information about this attack" and encouraged them to call the sheriff's office at 763-427-1212 or leave an anonymous tip on its website.

"If you find that you have agitated another driver, whether the fault is truly yours or not, do not react or retaliate to the other driver on the road. This will only cause the situation to escalate. Remind yourself that the other driver is just bad at handling stress, avoid eye contact and continue to practice safe driving habits," Safe Motorist, which offers online courses on driving, says on how to handle road rage.