Highway 12 Water Bottle Attacks Targeting Motorists Between Sebastapol and Santa Rosa

CHP reports fifth case of vehicle hit by water bottle

The CHP is asking drivers to be on the lookout for a suspect who is shattering windshields with water bottles in the North Bay.

Five cars have been hit during the past week. One person was injured.

In each case, officers say, the suspect threw the water bottles from a moving car at drivers heading in the opposite direction.

The latest attack occurred Thursday, when a school bus was hit in the vicinity of Hall Road, but no children were on board. The female driver was injured when she was struck in the eye and arm by flying glass after the bottle struck the windshield, CHP Officer Jon Sloat said.

Each attack has happened on or near State Highway 12 between Sebastopol and Santa Rosa.

Throwing an object out of a moving vehicle is a misdemeanor offense, but because of the injury to the bus driver, last week's incident rises to a felony, according to Sloat.

A UPS driver who saw last week's incident said the suspect's vehicle is a white Toyota Tacoma or Tundra with a black stripe, Sloat said.

On Wednesday, a bob-tail truck was traveling west on state Highway 12 near Irwin Lane around 11:30 a.m. when someone in a passing vehicle threw a full water bottle that broke through the windshield, Sloat said.

The bottle left a softball-sized hole in the windshield and the impact covered the driver in glass, Sloat said.

The driver was not injured and was able to stop the truck.

The CHP then received another call Wednesday from a driver who said his Geo Metro was struck with a water bottle that broke off his driver's side mirror as he was driving south on Llano Road, Sloat said.

The driver of a Chevrolet minivan also reported his vehicle was struck with a water bottle as he drove west on state Highway 12 near Merced Avenue, according to Sloat. The impact also left a softball-sized hole in the windshield.

The drivers in the earlier cases said the suspect's vehicle was a 2000s-era white pickup truck without a camper shell, Sloat said.

Anyone with information about any of the cases is asked to call the CHP at (707) 588-1400.

Bay City News contributed to this report.
 

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