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Tesla Driver Charged In Connection With Multiple Incidents Of Road Rage
A driver has been charged with threatening people and damaging their vehicles on Southern California roadways.
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Chava Sanchez
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LAist
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The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office has announced charges against a man accused of threatening multiple people on roadways throughout Southern California dating back as far as 2020.
Prosecutors say that as recently as last month, Nathaniel Radimak, 36, allegedly got out of his Tesla on the 2 Freeway and struck a vehicle with a pipe. On the same day, he allegedly followed a couple from a shopping mall in Pasadena and almost hit a car.
Previous Incidents
Radimak is also accused of threatening to attack a woman at a storage facility in Atwater Village on Nov. 9, 2022. That same day, he allegedly got out of his car on the freeway and broke a woman's headlights.
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Last summer, prosecutors say Radimak is the man who threatened an elderly woman outside a doctor's office in Glendale.
Radimak also has a pending case stemming from January 2020 when he allegedly attacked another driver in a road rage incident that happened in Hollywood.
Radimak has pleaded not guilty.
In a statement announcing the charges on Tuesday, District Attorney Gascón said:
“The victims in this case were reasonably terrified by what they experienced, but this reign of terror ends today. Motorists in Los Angeles shouldn’t have to live in fear of being attacked while simply driving on the freeway. Our office will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to determine if this person has committed similar acts against people in Los Angeles County and elsewhere.”
What Are The Charges?
The charges agains Radimak include:
- Four counts each of assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury and criminal threats
- One felony county of vandalism
- Two misdemeanor counts of vandalism
- One misdemeanor count of elder abuse.
What's Next
Radimak is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 14th. Prosecutors said they asked for, and got, a judge to "preventatively" detain him, citing "his lengthy criminal history which spans nearly two decades and crosses multiple states and jurisdictions" and the chance that he might flee. Current L.A. County jail records list a $5 million bail amount.
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Updated February 1, 2023 at 2:44 PM PST
This article was updated with Radimak's age and additional details from prosecutors and jail records.
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