Formal charges were brought against a 36-year-old Nathanial Radimak, who was seen in various videos assaulting drivers in Los Angeles with a metal pipe during a fit of road rage while driving a Tesla.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced that Radimak entered a plea of not guilty on Tuesday to four counts of assault using force to cause severe bodily harm, four counts of criminal threats, and one felony count of vandalism.
Prosecutors also revealed that the man had a prior road rage arrest where steroids were discovered in his vehicle. That pending case is out of Hollywood from January 2020, where he allegedly attacked another driver in a road rage incident. Officers found steroids and over $30,000 in cash. He’s already facing one felony count of possession for sale of a controlled substance and one misdemeanor count of battery in that case.
“This reign of terror ends today,” said Gascón, “Drivers in Los Angeles should not have to live in fear of being attacked while simply driving on the freeway.”
Prosecutors say Radimak attacked two drivers in two separate incidents on January 11, 2023.
In the first incident, he was seen on video slamming on his brakes on the 2 Freeway in Northeast L.A., jumping out of his Tesla, and striking a car behind him with a metal pole.
Then he was allegedly followed a couple home from a shopping mall in Pasadena and nearly struck their car with his. He got out of his car also hit their vehicle with a metal pole.
Radimak is also accused of threatening to attack a woman at a storage facility in Atwater Village on Nov. 9, 2022.
The road rage Tesla driver made national headlines after being linked to several vehicular attacks on Southern California freeways, including an incident that occurred in West Hollywood where a woman had a run-in with the suspect while she was in her car with her 93-year-old mother. The encounter happened in June. She provided pictures showing the suspect and a valet driver involved in a violent physical altercation.
Radimak has an extensive criminal record and several run-ins with the law:
- There were civil actions involving two domestic violence allegations involving the same woman in 2022.
- There is Charge Section: 11378 in 2021, which is the charge of “possession for sales of methamphetamine”.
- Charge Section: 242 is California Penal Code [CPC] §242 involves “simple vandalism,” which occurred in 2017.
- California Penal Code [CPC] §§594(a)(1)-(3) is for “vandalism” in California, which also happened in 2017.
https://unicourt.com/case/ca-lac1-radimak-nathaniel-walter-691462
https://trellis.law/rulings/county:%22losangeles%22-AND-radimak?state=ca
Dashcam footage and leads helped the CHP arrest the suspect, identified as Radimak. The CHP didn’t mention if Radimak was linked to the other road incidents.
In addition to being booked with an assault with a deadly weapon charge, Redimak also has two outstanding warrants.
Early reports had his bail set at $5,175,000, but a judge today ruled to hold him without bail.
Now come on wonderful people of the Great City of West Hollywood, don’t be shy in containing your gratitude for our courageous Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón bringing charges against this road raging terror to the tranquility of our lovely freeways.
He should be out down