Teens Accused of Targeting Cars on Freeway Face Felony Counts

Three teenagers who allegedly threw pieces of concrete and steel at vehicles on the Santa Ana Freeway in Anaheim will face nine misdemeanor counts and 10 felony counts of assault, authorities said Tuesday.

Tori Richards, a spokeswoman for the Orange County district attorney’s office, said the teens--ages 14, 15 and 17--were spotted by police about 1:15 a.m. Saturday behind a concrete construction barrier along the freeway near Lincoln Avenue. One motorist whose vehicle was struck notified police, and the teens were taken into custody, Richards said.

The debris, set alongside the freeway from a widening project there, hit the windshields of 20 vehicles, including two buses, authorities said. Several people had cuts from shattered glass, investigators said, but there were no crashes. An investigation is continuing to determine how many vehicles were hit.

The teens are being held in Orange County Juvenile Hall and are expected to be arraigned today. The felony counts allege conspiracy to commit assault with a deadly weapon and assault with force likely to produce bodily injury, Richards said.