Dirt Bike Riders Arrested In Freeway Beating Of Lyft Driver
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Three dirt bikers were arrested in a series of Bay Area raids by the California Highway Patrol for the March freeway beating of a Lyft driver on Highway 101 caught on videotape, authorities announced Friday.
The CHP said 33-year-old Derwayne A. Johnson, 35-year-old Gabriel Rodriguez and 19-year-old Jarrell E. Williams Jr. were arrested early Wednesday morning in simultaneous raids on four homes in the San Francisco area.
The men were tracked down with help from the public and from San Francisco police officers, who, along with the CHP, had previously encountered them allegedly riding motorcycles wildly on highways and city streets, according to CHP spokesman Officer Vu Williams.
The three were being held in San Francisco County Jail on assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit a crime, assault, battery, vandalism, possession of stolen property, and possession of a controlled substance charges.
The attack they are accused of took place on March 9, when a group of up to 15 dirt bike riders took part in a "sideshow," shutting down traffic on Highway 101 near the Caesar Chavez Street exit.
When the Lyft driver tried to pass the riders, they allegedly boxed him in and began vandalizing his car, Williams said.
When the driver got out of his car, the suspects allegedly beat the man before one of the suspects ran over his leg with a dirt bike, breaking it badly enough that it required at least one surgery to repair, Williams said.
A motorist trailing behind the incident filmed it on cellphone video which was widely broadcast on local media.
The Lyft driver -- 35-year-old Alex Quintana -- spent more than a week in the hospital suffering from a broken nose, abrasions, nerve damage and a leg broken in three places that required surgery.
"He's still recovering," Williams said. "They broke his leg fairly badly."
During the arrests, officers also found several firearms, a stolen dirt bike, money and a small amount of drugs, according to the CHP.
Authorities said they are still looking for a fourth suspect.