An Anaheim man accused of using a BB gun to blow out the windows on cars in a weeks-long series of attacks along Southern California freeways and roads must stand trial for attempted murder and other offenses, a judge ruled Tuesday.
Jesse Leal Rodriguez, 35, was arrested last May after his vehicle was identified in connection with an attack in Norco and similar incidents that occurred later on the Riverside (91) Freeway.
Following a preliminary hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Randall Stamen found there was sufficient evidence to warrant a trial on three counts each of attempted murder, assault likely to produce great bodily injury and assault with a deadly weapon, connected to two separate attacks on the 91 freeway, neither of which resulted in injuries.
Stamen scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for May 24 and left the defendant’s bail set at $1 million. Rodriguez is being held at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside.
“Shooting at moving vehicles with a BB or pellet gun while traveling at high speed on our roads and freeways is incredibly dangerous,” District Attorney Mike Hestrin said when the defendant was arrested. “Shooting out windows of cars could easily startle drivers in traffic and cause a major accident. We are all relieved that no one was seriously injured by these crimes.”
According to the California Highway Patrol, about 1:30 p.m. on May 28, a Tesla occupied by three people was passing the intersection of Hamner Avenue and Hidden Valley Parkway in Norco when it came under fire. A window was shattered, but no one in the sedan was hurt.
The Tesla’s video system captured the vehicle from which the BBs were fired — a maroon Chevrolet Trailblazer, according to the D.A.’s office. The images were supplied to Riverside County sheriff’s deputies, who responded to the shooting.
The same or a similar SUV was spotted in two other window-shattering attacks about 9:30 p.m. on the 91 freeway, near Pierce Street, and the victims called 911, providing details that led Riverside police to the parking area of the Galleria at Tyler mall an hour later.
Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback said officers spotted the SUV and detained Rodriguez, who was turned over to CHP, culminating in his arrest.
The agency is continuing to investigate whether Rodriguez was one of the perpetrators, or the sole party involved, in the estimated 100 attacks on the 91 and other corridors between mid-April and late May in Riverside, Orange and Los Angeles counties.
According to the D.A.’s office, there are numerous videos from multiple Caltrans cameras and other evidence that still must be processed.
Court records show Rodriguez has prior convictions in Orange County for criminal street gang activity, possession of a loaded firearm and being a convicted felon in possession of a gun.
If convicted in the current case, he could face more than 50 years in state prison.