An Anaheim man arrested following a series of BB or pellet gun shootings on Southern California freeways has been charged with attempted murder in connection with a BB gun shooting earlier this week that was caught on a Tesla's camera.
Jesse Leal Rodriguez, 34, also was charged by authorities in Riverside County with three counts of assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury. The charges involve three occupants in a Tesla shot at on May 25.
It was not immediately clear whether Rodriguez will face charges in other shootings, most of which were reported this month on the 91 Freeway in Orange, Los Angeles and Riverside counties.
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“Shooting at moving vehicles with a BB gun or pellet gun while traveling at high speed on our roads or freeways is incredibly dangerous,” Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said. “Shooting out windows of cars could easily startle drivers in traffic and cause a major accident. We are all relieved that no one was seriously injured by these crimes.”
The shooting in which Rodriguez was charged involved a Tesla in the area of Hammer Avenue and Hidden Valley Parkway in Norco. A maroon Chevrolet Trailblazer was captured on the vehicle’s video system at the time of the shooting, the prosecutor's office said.
The Tesla’s window was shot out. Two passengers and the driver were not injured.
A maroon Chevy Trailblazer matching the vehicle description provided by the Tesla occupants was pulled over at about 9:30 p.m. at a shopping center. Its driver, identified as Rodriguez, was arrested.
Authorities said a BB gun was found in the SUV.
More than 100 BB or pellet gun shootings have been reported to authorities over the past month along the 91 Freeway corridor.
“While the DA’s Office has filed charges related to this May 25 BB gun shooting, there are dozens more incidents still being investigated,” the district attorney’s office said in a statement. “The DA’s Office anticipates more charges could be filed in the future.”
