A Temple City man pleaded no contest Wednesday to an assault charge stemming from a road rage attack on the Ventura (134) Freeway that was caught on video, and was immediately sentenced to three months in county jail.
Dikran Gligoriu, who entered his plea to the felony count of assault likely to produce great bodily injury, must also attend 52 anger management classes, 12 sessions of parenting classes and two Alcoholics Anonymous meetings per week for a year, according to a district attorney’s spokesman.
Gligoriu, 36, was westbound last Feb. 6 in the left lane of the 134 Freeway near Glendale Boulevard — with three children in his car — when he suddenly stopped, causing drivers behind him to slam on their brakes to avoid a collision, prosecutors said.
Gligoriu got out of his car and confronted the driver of the vehicle behind him. The other motorist was “seriously shaken” by the altercation, but did not sustain physical injuries, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Video from the attack — which aired on several local television stations — showed the driver of a black Infiniti trying to overtake a silver Volkswagen Jetta before slamming on his brakes, jumping out and attacking the driver of the Jetta before running back to his car and driving away.
The CHP announced less than a week later that it had identified Gligoriu as the “irate driver” and also tracked down the other motorist.
The video was shot by a person in a vehicle behind them who told a reporter that he thought the two vehicles were going to collide.
–City News Service