68th ‘projectile alley’ attack strikes car as California cops try to reassure drivers
Authorities in California’s Monterey County are trying to reassure nervous drivers after the 68th attack along stretches of highway in the area shattered a driver’s window Sunday.
The most recent attack targeted an SUV near Dunbarton Road on U.S. 101 around 8 p.m., breaking the vehicle’s window but causing no reported injuries, California Highway Patrol officers in the area said in a Facebook post Monday. Attacks have plagued the corridor since February 2019, earning it the nickname “projectile alley.”
“We want to reassure the public that our task force, as well as our patrol officers, are diligently working on this investigation each day; it remains our top priority as we continue to focus on public safety,” Captain Kyle Foster said in the post Monday. “We are following up on [numerous] leads each day. This investigation has been long and arduous but we are hopeful we will be able [to] bring it to a close soon.”
CHP officers said in an update on the investigation last month that there had been 63 projectile incidents along the stretches of road in the Prunedale area up to mid-December — including on U.S. 101, State Route 156 in San Benito County and State Route 156 in Monterey County.
“If you are driving along the US-101 corridor in [Prunedale], we recommend that you keep your windows up,” Foster wrote in the December post. “This will help keep you a little more safe as we try to locate the person(s) responsible. If your vehicle is struck, please: 1) Turn on your hazard lights, 2) Pull to the right shoulder and stop, 3) Call 911 immediately, 4) Do not disturb any physical evidence.”
As of December, there was a $15,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible, according to CHP.
“We want to thank the public for your patience as work towards bringing those responsible to justice,” Foster said in the Monday post.
The attacks have left local drivers in fear.
“We’re scared to get on the highway,” Rosemary Anaya of Hollister said after a spate of attacks in November, KPIX reported. “Something’s got to be done, they got to figure out a way to get this to stop.”
Despite the large number of attacks in less than a year, most of the projectiles have not harmed those inside the vehicles they struck, officers said.
“We are very fortunate that no one has been seriously hurt,” Foster said in December.
This story was originally published January 6, 2020 at 11:49 AM with the headline "68th ‘projectile alley’ attack strikes car as California cops try to reassure drivers."
