In a disturbing incident on Christmas Day, an Indiana man is facing serious charges for allegedly driving under the influence and threatening a couple on the road. Jay Messer, 50, is accused of a litany of offenses, including unlawful possession of firearms as a convicted felon, intimidation, pointing a firearm at another individual, driving while intoxicated, and possession of controlled substances. According to court records, Messer is currently held at Hancock County Jail with a hefty $200,000 cash bond.

The incident unfolded on December 25, 2025, when a couple found themselves driving east on 79th Street in Indianapolis, trailing a black Jeep Grand Cherokee. According to court documents accessed by local news affiliates WXIN and WTTV, the Jeep halted at a stop sign and remained stationary even after several rotations of it being the driver’s turn. When the couple decided to bypass the idle vehicle and continue into Hancock County, the driver of the Jeep, identified as Messer, reportedly reacted angrily.

Messer’s displeasure with the couple’s maneuver escalated rapidly. He began to follow them, swerving his vehicle in an apparent rage-filled pursuit. The situation intensified when both vehicles reached another stop sign. Messer allegedly pulled up behind the couple, brandished a firearm, and shouted a chilling threat, “I will f—ing kill you.”

Frightened but quick-thinking, the couple managed to drive away, with the wife capturing a photograph of Messer’s license plate before they distanced themselves from the confrontation. Despite their escape, authorities report that Messer continued his reckless driving, further endangering others on the road.

Eventually, the couple had to come to a stop at a different stop sign, and Messer reportedly pulled up behind them, pointed a gun, and yelled out the window, “I will f—ing kill you.”

The man and woman drove away — not before the wife took a picture of Messer’s license plate — and they are believed to have left the suspect behind. But he continued driving in a reckless manner, as authorities tell it.

At about 2 p.m., someone called 911 to report a disturbance inside a black Jeep Grand Cherokee in McCordsville Sports Park, about a 20-mile drive east of 79th Street in Indianapolis. The SUV pulled onto State Road 67 and proceeded to swerve in and out of lanes, police said.

Officers pulled the vehicle over, and Messer allegedly stepped out — though he “had trouble standing up,” the court documents added. There was more: He had “urinated in his pants,” according to authorities.

Police searched Messer and reportedly found ammo for a Winchester .380, an envelope with a “large amount” of cash, and “various” drugs inside four pill containers, including Alprazolam — otherwise known as Xanax — and Clonazepam, another central nervous system depressant.

Law enforcement asked the suspect whether he had been drinking, to which he confessed he had “a little alcohol” while he was on “many medications,” the local TV stations reported. When given a breath test, he allegedly blew 0.250, more than three times the legal limit.

Furthermore, Messer is said to have had three guns inside his Jeep: a Glock 42, a loaded MP Smith & Wesson, and a Ruger .380. Officers also allegedly found a “blue bag containing what appeared to be cremated human remains.” Authorities later heard from the woman in the car with her husband and tied the two situations together.

The suspect was detained, and after being taken to an area hospital, he was booked into the Hancock County Jail. Court records show he has a pretrial conference in his case set for March 5.