NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - A recent deadly shooting along Oyster Point Road began with a case of road rage, according to Newport News Police.
In court documents obtained by News 3, the suspect As-Siddiq Abdul-Aziz fired his gun once, killing the victim, 51-year-old Crystal Mittelstadter. The suspect's girlfriend recorded the tense exchange leading up to the shooting and shared the video with police.
On the video, the suspect is heard saying the victim would "die today." The victim is also heard saying that Abdul-Aziz had a gun. Camera footage in the shopping center parking lot shows the suspect running toward the victim's car, holding a gun.
A witness saw Abdul-Aziz shoot the victim.
Police recovered the gun at the scene, as well as a cartridge casing inside the suspect's car. No gun was found on the victim.
Abdul-Aziz has been charged with one count each second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Authorities say he was arrested late Friday night and is in custody at Newport News Jail.
We spoke with the family and friends of the victim in that deadly incident. They kindly let us into their home to share just a glimpse of what Crystal meant to them.
They told us Crystal Mittelstadter's loss was made even greater by the fact that this past Saturday they would have celebrated their 20th anniversary.
Rhonda Despinis spoke to us about her partner of 20 years.
“Crystal had a smile that everybody knows. Beautiful blue eyes. And beautiful white teeth,” she said.
Saturday would've been their anniversary but Crystal was killed the day before.
“I started thinking okay, something's not right. I started calling her and she didn't answer,” Rhonda said.
Detectives then told her Crystal had been killed in a possible road rage incident.
She says she's heartbroken, to say the least, but her neighbors and friends have helped her get through these tough couple of days.
“I could not have made it without all these people. It's too overwhelming. So, I thank everybody, all my friends and neighbors and family that have been here,” Rhonda said.
They shared their memories of Crystal's kindness and charisma with us.
“Crystal was she was such a beautiful person. She had a beautiful soul,” Sandra Farnum, Crystal's neighbor and friend said.
She was known as the one-woman welcoming committee of their cul-de-sac, the common denominator that brought them all together.
“I never saw a frown on her face. I never saw her angry. I never saw her aggressive,” Roger Blankenship, another friend and neighbor of Crystal's said.
Rhonda told us that even though they will never get Crystal back, she wants the family of the person that took her away to know that she forgives him.
"I'm a very forgiving person. I was brought up by my mom, my mom brought up to be a Christian and I forgive him. He has ruined his family's life too. He's got a mother, I guess I'm assuming he's got a family, he may have children. I don't know, but it's ruined, both sides not just ours. It's ruined his too and I forgive him," Rhonda said.
Rhonda told us her friends and neighbors are planning a memorial to honor Crystal and celebrate her life. They are also planning on creating a special memorial for Crystal where she worked, Crutchman Truck Caps. They want to make a plaque for the spot where she parked every day for the last eight years so that no one can ever park there again.
