An act of violence was caught on camera in La Mesa and led to an arrest. Police say the suspect also threw a rock at another car.
LA MESA, Calif. — A 52-year-old man was arrested and charged with felony vandalism after police say he threw a large rock at a moving vehicle’s windshield in La Mesa. The incident, which occurred on Aug. 24 around 3 a.m. on Murray Hill Road, was captured on the victim’s dashcam.
Tony Ratmyseng, the driver of the targeted vehicle, described the sudden attack: “Sounded like somebody shot my car for a second,” he said. The dashcam footage shows a man hurling a rock from the sidewalk, smashing Ratmyseng’s windshield.
“That fool just threw a rock out of the… what the (bleep),” Ratmyseng’s passenger can be heard saying in the video.
La Mesa Police identified and arrested Alec Simmons for the incident. Authorities revealed that Simmons had been involved in a prior confrontation with another vehicle moments before targeting Ratmyseng’s car.
Ratmyseng, who was driving to his brother’s house at the time, initially feared the incident might be a setup for a more serious crime. “To me, it looked like a set up because most people would stop and get out of the car and see what they hell is going on, right? But my instinct kicked in and just drove off just because I’ve heard other stories where people get robbed and they get carjacked or kidnapped… that’s why I didn’t stop,” said Ratmyseng.
The attack left Ratmyseng’s car with significant damage, including a shattered windshield and glass shards scattered throughout the vehicle’s interior. The incident has also had financial repercussions for Ratmyseng, who works as a rideshare driver.
“And I Uber too… so it kind of like, kind of sucks because I can’t Uber for a few days so I lost a lot of money that weekend,” said Ratmyseng.
In an effort to raise awareness about the incident, Ratmyseng shared the dashcam footage on social media, where it has garnered over 250,000 views. “I wanted to warn people just in case it happens to them – you know – just especially in that area. Especially during late at night. Just don’t go that way or if you do, just be careful,” said Ratmyseng.
The La Mesa Police Department encourages residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity, particularly during late-night hours.