CHP Releases Photos Of Suspect's Truck In Sonoma County Bottle-Throwing Attacks
SONOMA (AP) -- The California Highway Patrol released photos Saturday of the suspect vehicle involved in water bottle throwing incidents that have damaged several cars and injured a school bus driver in Sonoma County.
The suspect vehicle is described as a 2012-2014 white Toyota Tacoma pickup truck with black aftermarket rims and an off-road package, according to the CHP.
A woman driving a West Sonoma County school bus was injured last week when a water bottle thrown from a passing vehicle in the area of Hall road struck her windshield, CHP Officer Jon Sloat said earlier today.
The driver was struck in the eye and arm by flying glass, Sloat said.
The incident is the fifth bottle throwing attack reported in the past week, Sloat said.
It also raised the stakes in the search for the person responsible. While throwing an object out of a moving vehicle is a misdemeanor offense, the injury to the bus driver raises the incident to a felony, Sloat said.
Three vehicles were also hit this Wednesday and a West County school bus with no children on board was hit around 1 p.m. Thursday at Occidental Road and Piezzi Road, according to Sloat.
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.
Anyone with information about any of the cases is asked to call the CHP at (707) 588-1400.
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