Road rage pictures lead to arrest in Santa Rosa, Highway Patrol says
Photo courtesy CHP - Santa Rosa.
SANTA ROSA, Calif. - A driver who was attacked after a lane change on the freeway was then threatened by the assailant over social media, the California Highway Patrol said.
But photos taken during the assault led to the arrest Friday of a 24-year-old Santa Rosa man, the highway patrol said in a Facebook posting.
The attack was reported about 9:45 a.m. on Aug. 7 on northbound U.S. Highway 101 at Steele Lane in Santa Rosa, the CHP said.
The victim told police that a car followed them after a lane change on the freeway. When both vehicles were stopped at a traffic signal, the suspect got out of his vehicle and used a window punch and a folding knife to assault the victim and vandalize the victim's vehicle.
During the assault, the victim was able to take several photos of the suspect and the suspect's vehicle, police said. The suspect later figured out who the victim was and started harassing him and making criminal threats over social media, the highway patrol said.
CHP officers used the pictures to identify a suspect. Armando Sanchez Martinez was arrested and accused of assault with a deadly weapon, vandalism, damaging a digital device to prevent reporting a crime, witness intimidation, intentionally destroying evidence, criminal threats and brandishing a knife, the CHP said.