Serial Tesla road rage driver arrested again in Hawaii for similar crimes

HONOLULU - A man who was released from prison less than a year after serving his sentence in Southern California for a series of road rage attacks has been arrested in Honolulu, Hawaii, for similar crimes. 

What we know:

According to the Honolulu Police Department, 39-year-old Nathaniel Radimak was arrested Thursday on charges of assault, contempt, and unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle. 

Radimak allegedly sped past another vehicle, driven by an 18-year-old girl with her 35-year-old mother in the passenger seat, the previous day. Radimak and the other driver had a confrontation in which Radimak allegedly got out of his Tesla and assaulted the 18-year-old and her mother. He drove away from the scene. 

Southern California Attacks:

Radimak was released from prison last August after serving less than a year of his five-year sentence for a string of road rage attacks across Southern California. 

He was convicted of stalking, making criminal threats to cause great bodily injury/death, assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, vandalism and injury to elder causing death/great bodily injury. 

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The court granted him 424 days of pre-sentence credit for time served while awaiting sentencing.

According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), just a year into his sentence, Radimak became eligible for parole in August 2024.

He entered jail on Oct. 4, 2023.

Timeline:

Radimak was convicted in September 2023 on several felony counts including criminal threats, vandalism, assault and elder abuse.

At least 10 people - mostly women - came forward saying the 37-year-old violently attacked them in cities across Los Angeles County.

Radimak was arrested in January 2023 in Torrance by the California Highway Patrol in connection to one of his many viral road rage incidents.

Radimak was identified as the person wielding a pipe, caught on camera during a road rage incident that occurred on January 11, 2023 while he was driving a black Model X Tesla on the southbound lanes of Highway 2 near York Boulevard in Glendale.

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During the incident, a Chevrolet pickup truck driver, witnessing the road rage episode involving the black Tesla, started recording with his cellphone. A few minutes later, the Tesla driver attempted to merge into the left lane, making contact with the Chevrolet and hitting its front passenger side. Both vehicles continued driving, but moments later, Radimak, who was in the Tesla, stopped in the middle of the freeway, exited his car with a "pole-like object," and repeatedly struck the Chevrolet's door and window.

He then returned to his car and drove away.

Law enforcement found steroids and more than $30,000 in his car at the time of his arrest, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office said.

Radimak faced charges not only for the January 11 attack but also for two other incidents dating back to June 2022. On November 9, 2022, Radimak allegedly threatened to assault a woman at an Atwater Village storage facility. Later the same day, he reportedly left his car and threatened another woman on the freeway, breaking one of her headlights.

In June 2022, Radimak was also accused of threatening to assault a 74-year-old woman outside a Glendale doctor's office.

Radimak is involved in another road rage case from January 2020, where he allegedly attacked another driver in Hollywood, according to the DA's office.

Victims Speak Out:

Five women who claimed they were victims of Radimak spoke out during a press conference and retained prominent attorney Gloria Allred to represent them.

During the press conference, four victims shared their experiences, detailing the challenges they encountered within the criminal justice system. They had felony charges filed on their behalf by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office against their respective assailant.

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Although charges were filed on their behalf, the victims expressed their disappointment in the way their cases were handled by the district attorney's office. They argue that their rights, as defined under Marsy's Law in the California Constitution, were not honored.

During the press conference, the victims expressed their intent to work together to create proposals for legislative changes to ensure the protection and enforcement of victims' rights in the future.

What's next:

Honolulu PD said charges are pending. 

 

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