Santa Rosa man accused of road rage on Highway 101, harassing victim online
A North Bay man was arrested Friday for allegedly attacking a driver during a road rage incident earlier this month and tracking the victim down to harass him online.
Around 9:45 a.m. on Aug. 7, officers from the Santa Rosa office of the California Highway Patrol were called to the area of Highway 101 at Steele Lane.
According to an investigation, the suspect followed the victim off the freeway following a lane change. When both drivers were stopped at a light, officers said the suspect exited his vehicle.
The suspect then used a window punch and folding knife to attack the victim.
During the assault, the victim took photos of the suspect and his vehicle. In response, the suspect threw the phone into the bushes, before leaving the scene.
Following the incident, officers said the suspect figured out who the victim was, found him online and began to make threats over social media.
Investigators used the photos taken by the victim to identify the suspect. Arrest and search warrants were obtained.
On Friday morning, CHP officers along with the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office arrested the suspect at his home. The suspect, identified as 24-year-old Armando Sanchez Martinez was booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of multiple crimes, including assault with a deadly weapon, vandalism, damaging a digital device to prevent reporting a crime and witness intimidation.
According to the CHP, Sanchez Martinez is being held on $300,000 bail. Authorities did not say when he would appear in court on the charges.