Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Video: Naked Guy on Drugs Climbs, Stomps, and Reclines on Car in DTLA Traffic
A cellphone camera captured a rare and bizarre sight in the middle of a street in Downtown Los Angeles Wednesday night, as a naked man climbed atop an occupied car and proceeded to stand, stomp, and recline on its roof.
The unidentified male suspect was first spotted lying nude in the lobby of an apartment building on the 800 block of South Spring Street, according to ABC7. Residents of the apartment building saw the man, who is suspected of being under the influence of drugs, first engage in a verbal spat with the doorman before he exited the building, ran into a van and fell on his rear, then alighted on a red Mustang sitting in traffic on Spring Street.
A passerby grabbed their phone to record video, which shows the suspect on top of the car, stomping wildly and trying to raise the vocal support of people in the vicinity. He then reclined fully on the car's roof, but was covered with blood.
The incident escalated, however, when the driver of the Mustang and the naked man became engaged in a tense confrontation.
Support for LAist comes from
Eyewitness Domingo Payan told ABC7:
"[The suspect] charged the driver of the Mustang. The driver of the Mustang was standing in front of his female partner. In a will to defend her, he struck the individual in the chin and dazed him and knocked him to the ground. That gave the public safety [officers] a couple of minutes to catch up with him and to detain him across the street."
The suspect was ultimately arrested at around 6:45 p.m. for suspicion of felony vandalism, according to the Los Angeles Police Department, and was taken to County-USC Medical Center for an evaluation.
The Mustang sustained a dented roof and a shattered windshield, but neither the driver nor his female passenger were injured.
ABC7 shared the cellphone video of the incident in their report:
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
UCLA and University of California leaders are fighting Trump’s demands for a $1.2 billion settlement over a litany of accusations, including that the campus permits antisemitism. -
Wasteland Weekend is all about souped-up rust buckets, spikey costumes and an ‘ideal apocalypse.’ -
The Shadow the Scientists initiative at UC Santa Cruz strives to demystify astronomical research. -
Some submissions to the Pasadena Humane Society were made by extremely talented artists. The others … tried their best. -
Isolated showers can still hit the L.A. area until Friday as remnants from the tropical storm move out. -
First aspiring spectators must register online, then later in 2026 there will be a series of drawings.
Best of LAist