Chula Vista police car. (File photo courtesy of OnScene.TV)
A man was behind bars Friday for allegedly hurling a hammer at a Chula Vista police cruiser, leaving an officer with minor injuries.
Two officers were inside the patrol vehicle, stopped at a red light at Brisbane Street and North Fourth Avenue at about 3 p.m. Thursday, said Sgt. Anthony Molina in a news release.
A man then rode up on a bicycle and threw the hammer – it shattered a window on the front passenger side of the police car – before pedaling away. Molina said the officers initially thought shots had been fired.
Surveillance video from a nearby business, however, captured images of the suspect passing by, getting off his bike and throwing the hammer. Two Caltrans workers also witnessed the incident and shared information with investigators.
Officers located and arrested Luis Angel Ortiz, 29, nearby a short time later. He was booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion on assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer.
He is being held on $50,000 bail. An arraignment is set for Tuesday afternoon.
The officer in the passenger seat was treated at the scene for superficial cuts from the shattered glass, Molina said.
Chula Vista Police Department Chief Roxana Kennedy said the incident “could have had tragic consequences.”
She added that “we will not tolerate violence against law enforcement officers, and we are grateful that our officers were not seriously injured.”