SAN JOSE — A man has been criminally charged with throwing landscaping rocks at cars from a freeway overpass and on San Jose streets this past weekend, with authorities calling it a miracle that no one was killed by the alleged acts.
Michael Avila Pedraza was arrested Sunday and has since been charged with eight felony counts of throwing a substance at a vehicle with intent to cause great bodily injury, nine felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and six counts of vandalism in connection to the rock-throwing accusations.
Avila Pedraza was booked into the Elmwood men’s jail in Milpitas and was initially held without bail; his arraignment was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. He was also charged with felony hit and run after colliding with a bicyclist the day he was arrested, court records show.
According to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, Avila Pedraza threw landscaping rocks he gathered from various locations, and committed seven of the eight reported incidents on Saturday. Several people were injured, including one motorist who lost control of a vehicle and crashed into a tree.
The alleged attacks on freeway drivers centered on the Hellyer Avenue overpass above Highway 101, authorities said. Multiple reported incidents described Avila Pedraza as throwing rocks at oncoming cars while he drove on surface streets in San Jose.
When he was located and arrested, San Jose police reported that Avila Pedraza’s vehicle was loaded with more rocks. Supervising Deputy District Attorney Stephen Poolos lauded the swift work by San Jose police detectives and patrol officers in identifying and detaining the defendant.
“SJPD did an excellent job of solving it and making an arrest,” Poolos told this news organization. “I think it’s extremely reckless dangerous conduct. We’re lucky no one died from all of this.”
This is a developing report. Check back for updates.