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View Winners → Crime Jan 30, 2023
Nathaniel Walter Radimak was arrested by the California Highway Patrol's Southern Division Major Crimes Unit on Sunday. | Photo courtesy of CHP Central Los Angeles
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A Tesla driver who allegedly carried out a series of road-rage attacks recently was behind bars Monday.
Nathaniel Walter Radimak, 36, was taken into custody in Torrance about about 3 p.m. Sunday by members of the California Highway Patrol’s Southern Division Major Crimes Unit, and he was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and two outstanding warrants totaling $5.17 million, according to the CHP.
Radimak was arrested “in connection with assaults he is believed to have committed on January 11, 2023, while driving a Tesla, Model X, on state Route 2 near York Blvd, in the city of Los Angeles,” according to a CHP statement.
“The assaults were captured on a dash-cam video and several leads were provided to our department by the public which led to the arrest,” the CHP reported.
On Jan. 11, the CHP received reports that a Tesla driver armed with a “pole-like object” had attacked a motorist in an apparent road-rage incident. The attack occurred about 8:25 a.m. that day on southbound SR 2 in the Glassell Park area, CHP Officer Roberto Gomez said.
“The driver of a Chevrolet pickup truck traveling southbound on the SR-2 just north of the York Boulevard observed a road rage incident involving the driver of a black Tesla and a white Toyota Sedan,” Gomez said in a statement.
“After observing the road rage incident, the driver of the Chevrolet continued southbound on SR-2, within the No.1 lane, and observed the same black Tesla in the No. 2 lane approaching his location,” Gomez said.
“The driver of the Chevrolet began recording the Tesla with his cell phone, at which point the driver — suspect — of the Tesla made an aggressive turning movement into the No. 1 lane, nearly colliding into the Chevrolet. The suspect then stopped the Tesla within the No. 1 lane ahead of the Chevrolet, exited his vehicle with a `pole-like’ object in hand, and approached the Chevrolet before striking the driver’s door and window multiple times with the object,” Gomez said.
“The suspect driver then returned to his vehicle and fled the scene, continuing southbound on the SR-2,” Gomez said. “The sequence of events of this incident were recorded on the Chevrolet’s dash-cam which is being used for investigative purposes.”
The victim told KTLA5 he started recording after watching the Tesla driving erratically and targeting a vehicle on the freeway.
“Initially, you think, `Should I pin him to the wall with my car? Should I run him down? What should I do?”‘ the man, who wished to remain anonymous, told Channel 5. “And I tried to stay focused and think, `I don’t want to go from victim to criminal in an instant.”‘
Video captured the Tesla stopping next to a white sedan on an exit shoulder. The suspect is seen hopping out of his car and sprinting towards the sedan, trying to strike it before the sedan quickly drives off.
“He gets back to his car and he notices that I’m taping him, so he follows me,” the victim said. “At some point, he cuts me off, slams the brakes and starts beating on my car.”
Similar videos circulated on social media that appeared to show the same Tesla driver rushing toward another vehicle, armed with a pipe in hand.
Anyone with information on the incidents was urged to contact the CHP Central Los Angeles Area office at 213-744-2331, or the CHP Los Angeles Traffic Management Center at 323-259-3410.
