Nampa Police are asking for public help in finding a man who threatened another driver "road rage" style last month — an encounter which included swearing and racial slurs, officials said Wednesday.

Police officials say the incident occurred the afternoon of Oct. 3 on 12th Avenue Road near the Nampa Recreation Center. A female driver told police a man, driving a dark-colored SUV, was driving aggressively in the area before coming to an abrupt stop behind her car. The driver said the man got out of the car, walked up to her window and began swearing at her and using racing slurs.

The woman told police at one point it looked like the man was reaching for her door handle. The woman said she locked her doors and drove away when the light changed.

The woman called Nampa police about the incident on Oct. 3. Officers arrived, talked to the woman, and looked for the SUV in the area but were not able to find the driver.

Those officers did not file a report. It wasn't until the woman called back about a week later that Nampa police filed a formal report and resumed their investigation of the case, Sgt. Tim Randall said Wednesday.

It was shortly after that when police had the woman work with a sketch artist to create a picture of the suspect.

Randall said police are investigating the case as a hate crime, citing the personal and racial nature of what the man told the driver.

The crime of malicious harassment is punishable by up to five years in prison.

Anyone who saw what happened or recognizes the man in the composite picture should call Nampa Police at 465-2257 or Crime Stoppers at 343-2677.