VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – A man has been sentenced to over 24 years behind bars for a road rage incident against an Uber driver.
David A. Costa
Commonwealth’s Attorney for the city of Virginia Beach said Tuesday that 43-year-old David Arthur Costa was sentenced for Aggravated Malicious Wounding and Malicious Wounding.
Costa was found guilty after a trial on September 26, 2017.
Tuesday Costa was sentenced to 65 years in prison with 40 years and eight months suspended, leaving 24 years and four months to serve.
The office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney said this sentence was at the high-end of the Virginia State Sentencing Guidelines.
Judge Lewis said Costa was a “menace to society” and that the sentence would “remove him from it.” Costa must also pay restitution of over $15,000 for the victim’s medical bills and $9,000 for the victim’s lost wages, the Commonwealth’s Attorney Office said.
Evidence proved that around 11:30 p.m. on April 8, 2017 the victim was working as an Uber driver, entering I-264 Westbound at the oceanfront.
He unintentionally began tailgating a car driven by Jennifer Costa, with her husband, David Costa, in the passenger seat.
The victim was able to pass the Costa’s vehicle, but the Costas began following him, tailgating him, and repeatedly flashing their high-beams at him. The victim took the first exit ramp he came upon at First Colonial Road and stopped for a red light he Commonwealth’s Attorney Office said.
The Costas then stopped behind the Uber driver. David Costa jumped out of the car, opened the victim’s driver’s side door, and began yelling at him. Costa then began physically attacking him, and the victim leaned back in his seat to avoid David’s blows. The victim was stabbed in the chest and hit in his right hand during the attack. The victim was able to retrieve a knife from his car, and David fled back to the Costa’s vehicle. The victim left the knife behind, but began yelling at the Costas. Jennifer Costa then accelerated and hit the victim with her car. She then reversed, struck the victim’s car, and, at the urging of her husband, tried to hit the victim a second time. The Costas then fled back onto the interstate, according to the Commonwealth’s Attorney Office.
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The victim took a picture of their license plate and realized he was bleeding from the chest so he pulled off the roadway and called police.
Virginia Beach police officers found David and Jennifer near the vehicle’s registered address later that night.
The victim survived the attack but reportedly has permanent injury to his legs from being struck by the Costa’s car and a scar on his chest from the stab wound.
Jennifer Costa is scheduled to be sentenced for Malicious Wounding on March 28.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Office said Costa’s criminal record dates back to age 10. He has nine adjudications for crimes in juvenile court. As an adult, he has convictions for two counts of Assault, Brandishing a Firearm, Concealed Weapon, Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, Destruction of Property, Grand Larceny, Resisting Arrest, Reckless Driving, Failure to Appear, Possession of Firearm by a Convicted Felon, two counts of Receiving Stolen Goods, Burglary, Conspiracy to Commit Burglary, Possession of Burglary Tools, Trespassing, multiple convictions for Driving on a Suspended License and multiple violations of probation.
