35 mile freeway ride results in serious California criminal charges

 Posted on March 04, 2011 in Criminal Defense

An alleged dispute between man and wife evolved into serious charges earlier this week. A 36-year-old Manteca man reportedly hopped into the family minivan after he had an argument with his wife. She then jumped onto the hood of the van in an effort to stop him from leaving. Witnesses claim the man drove at excessive speeds for 35 miles Saturday, just after 12:30 a.m., with his wife on the hood of the vehicle.

Police reportedly arrested the man later Saturday morning at his home on charges of attempted murder, kidnapping and domestic violence.

Law enforcement claims at least two people called 911 to report a minivan racing down a Northern California freeway in the middle of the night. The witnesses say the van was travelling at speeds up to 100 miles per hour during the 35 mile drive from Manteca to Pleasanton. All during the event, the 25-year-old woman reportedly was sprawled across the hood of the minivan as it raced down the freeway, hanging on to the windshield wiper blades.

One of the people that called 911 reportedly followed the minivan to Pleasanton. The witness says the minivan pulled over and the woman rolled off the vehicle. The witness reportedly took the 25-year-old woman to a hospital for treatment of hypothermia. Temperatures reportedly hovered in the low 30s during the alleged incident. The man reportedly returned home, where law enforcement placed him under arrest.

Police spokesman Rex Osborn says the Manteca man was arrested in February after allegedly threatening to drown himself in water that had collected in a trash bin. Police reportedly responded to the area on February, 23 and claim the man showed signs of being on "some kind of drugs." The man reportedly spent a day in jail on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance.

Source: USA Today, "Wife clings to minivan's wipers during 35-mile chase at 100 mph," Michael Winter 2 Mar 2011