Tesla driver charged in L.A. road-rage attack that was caught on video

A man who was caught on video jumping out of his Tesla with a pipe to attack another driver on an L.A. freeway has been charged with multiple counts of assault and vandalism, authorities said Tuesday.

Nathaniel Radimak, 36, who was arrested Sunday for the Jan. 11 incident on the 2 Freeway, has a history of threats and violence that includes smashing a headlight and threatening a 74-year-old woman, according to L.A. Dist. Atty. George Gascón. Radimak also faces charges in a January 2020 incident in which he allegedly attacked a driver in Hollywood; when his car was searched, steroids and $30,000 were found, Gascón said.

Sunday’s road-rage incident on the 2 Freeway near York Boulevard was captured on a driver’s dashboard camera, authorities said. The video shows a man stopping his Tesla in traffic, charging at another car with a pipe and repeatedly striking it.

Radimak was arrested in Torrance. The California Highway Patrol confirmed two outstanding warrants totaling more than $5.1 million in bail.

He was charged Tuesday with four counts each of assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury and criminal threats, as well as one felony count of vandalism, two misdemeanor counts of vandalism and one misdemeanor count of elder abuse.

“This reign of terror ends today,” Gascón said in a statement . “Motorists in Los Angeles shouldn’t have to live in fear of being attacked while simply driving on the freeway.”

Gascón added that his office, along with law enforcement, would investigate to see if additional charges are warranted.

Radimak pleaded not guilty. He is expected back in court Feb. 14.

Tips from the public led to his arrest, and his black 2022 Tesla Model X was seized by police, according to the CHP.

Prior to the Jan. 11 incident , Radimak allegedly threatened two women in separate events Nov. 9. The first incident involved a threat to attack a woman at an Atwater Village storage facility. Radimak later allegedly stopped his vehicle on a freeway and smashed a female driver’s headlight while making more threats. Radimak is also accused of issuing threats in June to a 74-year-old woman in Glendale.

In January 2020, when he allegedly attacked a driver in Hollywood, he was charged with one felony count for the sale of a controlled substance and one misdemeanor count of battery.

Gascón said Radimak is a flight risk and danger to the community and asked that he be detained. A judge Tuesday agreed.