Brother attacked with chisel during San Mateo road rage attack

San Mateo police warn against road rage after attack with a chisel

A witness describes how his brother, the victim of a road rage incident, was attacked by two men while parking a vehicle in San Mateo. Police are reminding people not to engage or escalate when upset with the way another person is driving.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - A road rage attack on two brothers involving a chisel has made them both on edge and a reminder for themselves that it's best to stand down instead of escalating a potentially violent situation. 

Fred Alvarenga said his brother was attacked on Monday before 11 a.m. by two men during a road range incident at the intersection of South Railroad and Birch avenues in San Mateo, an area with many auto repair shops, including SM Motors, which he owns.

"I happened to look and two individuals were chasing my brother down the street," Alvarenga said.

He said his brother was trying to park a customer's white pickup truck and was waving the driver behind him to go around, when that driver started honking repeatedly and "going ballistic." 

Alvarenga said that driver got a chisel from his trunk, called a friend who arrived quickly, and that both men  confronted his brother.

Surveillance video from the scene shows the driver attacking Alvarenga's brother, who was taken to the hospital for cuts and bruises.

"He started stabbing my brother six, seven times," Alvarenga said.   

Alvarenga says when he tried to help his brother, the driver attacked him.

"When he turned around, that's when he swung and that's when I jumped back," he said. 

San Mateo police say this is one of two road rage incidents that happened in a week's time. Police spokeswoman Jeanine Luna said that the suspects are now facing potential battery charges, and assault with a deadly weapon. 

"It's not worth it," Alvarenga said. "You don't know who you're approaching. Just better to continue and go about your way."