3 men arrested in attack on San Francisco Lyft driver

SAN FRANCISCO - SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) -- Three men accused of savagely beating a Lyft driver on U.S. Highway 101 in San Francisco in March were arrested Wednesday and are facing several felony charges related to the attack, according to the California Highway Patrol.

CHP officers arrested Derwayne A. Johnson,  33, Gabriel Rodriguez, 25, and Jarrell E. Williams Jr., 19, during simultaneous searches of four San Francisco homes.

The three were arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit a crime, assault, battery and vandalism in connection with the March beating, which was captured by a witness on cellphone video and widely viewed on social media, according to the CHP.

The men were tracked down with help from the public and from San Francisco police officers, who, along with the CHP, had previously encountered them allegedly riding motorcycles wildly on highways and city streets, according to CHP spokesman Officer Vu Williams.

The attack they are accused of took place on March 9, when a group of up to 15 dirt bike riders took part in a "sideshow," shutting down traffic on Highway 101 near the Caesar Chavez Street exit.

When the Lyft driver tried to pass the riders, they allegedly boxed him in and began vandalizing his car, Williams said.

When the driver got out of his car, the suspects allegedly beat the man before one of the suspects ran over his leg with a dirt bike, breaking it badly enough that it required at least one surgery to repair, Williams said.

"He's still recovering," Williams said. "They broke his leg fairly badly."

During the arrests, officers also found several firearms, a stolen dirt bike, money and a small amount of drugs, according to the CHP.