Suspect Held After Rocks Smash 5 Cars on Golden State

An Arleta man was arrested Friday for throwing softball- to watermelon-sized rocks from an overpass above the Golden State Freeway, hitting at least five cars and slightly injuring a teen-age boy, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The suspect was held for CHP officers by an enraged motorist whose truck was struck by a rock as it passed beneath Branford Street in Arleta. The motorist said he ran across the freeway and up the incline to the overpass, and then chased the suspect for a mile and a half.

David Colon, 29, was arrested on suspicion of throwing debris at cars on a freeway, a felony, Officer Dennis Yates said.

“He was throwing rocks about the size of softballs off of the overcrossing and at least five vehicles were damaged” in the southbound lanes, Yates said. “Some had dents and some had broken windows.” One of the rocks that crashed through a windshield was the size of a small watermelon.

“There is no known motive at this time,” Yates said.

Yates said a teen-age boy, whose name was unavailable, suffered a slight cut from broken glass but did not need medical treatment.

The damaged cars pulled to the side of the freeway and traffic was not slowed, Yates said.

Yates said at least two other men were throwing rocks from the overpass but got away.

Terry Nichols, 50, of Mission Hills said he was a passenger in a pickup struck on the hood by a rock. Nichols said when the driver pulled over, he saw a man on the overpass “standing there with a big rock in his hand,” and set out after him.

“I figured if we tried to call the cops, by the time the cops got there, the guy is going to be gone,” Nichols said.

Crossing the freeway and dashing up an incline, he chased the fleeing man about a mile and a half, Nichols said, catching him with the help of CalTrans workers who saw the chase.

Yates said Colon was being held at the Van Nuys Jail.