Authorities searching for man who attacked driver in Tujunga
The Los Angeles Police Department is looking for a man wanted for battery after he threatened to kill a fellow driver in a road rage altercation and sprayed bear repellent on the victim.
The incident took place at the intersection of Pali Avenue and Day Street in Tujunga on July 6. The victim, Gary Anadolian, told CBSLA Reporter Laurie Perez that he rolled through his stop sign at a three-way stop.
But he says the other driver overreacted and should be found before he loses it again.
"It was a terrible burning sensation for three days, nonstop for three days," Anadolian said.
In video obtained by CBSLA, the suspect can be seen getting out of his white Toyota Matrix and spraying a man sitting in his white Honda Odyssey.
"He drove right at me yelling and cursing and sayin, 'I'm gonna kill you. You're trying to endanger my three-year old daughter in the car,' which I didn't see nobody by the way, and then incidentally he pulled over in front of me and blocked me," Anadolian said.
A passing driver's dash cam caught what happened next.
The agitated man approached Anadolian with a canister that looked like it was bear repellant. The suspect then sprayed Anadolian right in the face with the bear spray.
"I think this guy didn't want to stop at his stop sign. He was angry before this happened. He was enraged before and he was looking for a problem and I was basically his victim that day," Anadolian said.
Anadolian stumbled from his car. Neighbors rushed to him and called 911. He told Perez that the stinging in his eyes and on his skin is finally gone but he is still stunned by what happened this past Wednesday.
"I need this guy to be caught before he hurts someone else," Anadolian said.
Almost exactly one year ago, CBSLA did a similar story about a road rage incident where a driver used bear spray on another driver - that person was arrested and charged.
Anadolian's family is offering a $1000 reward for info that leads to an arrest.