San Diego bystanders chase down suspected Tesla thief after woman struck on boardwalk
Bystanders chased down and tackled a suspected car thief after he allegedly drove a stolen Tesla through a crowded San Diego pedestrian walkway, striking a woman and leaving her with serious injuries.
Video shows Juan Antonio Gonzaba, 39, fleeing the vehicle, which police told numerous local media outlets was stolen, and sprinting through a parking lot.
Bystander Alex Srour leapt into action, chasing Gonzaba down and pushing him while he ran, resulting in Gonzaba falling to the ground.
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"I hear somebody behind me just scream like, ‘Watch out.’ And then I look and there's like a Tesla just barreling at me going like 70 miles an hour," Srour told KABC-TV.
Juan Antonio Gonzaba flees after driving an allegedly stolen Tesla through a pedestrian walkway (Storyful / @alexhsrour via Storyful)
Police charged Gonzaba with assault with a deadly weapon, hit-and-run and auto theft in connection with the incident, according to the San Diego Sheriff's Office.
Srour, who recorded the incident on a pair of smart glasses he was wearing, said he was sideswiped when Gonzaba careened the Tesla down a pedestrian boardwalk.
The Tesla that Juan Antonio Gonzaba allegedly stole and drove through a pedestrian boardwalk in San Diego is seen in aerial footage. (Storyful / @alexhsrour via Storyful)
"He hit my bike and it like pushed me really, it like launched me off to the side," Srour told KABC, adding "people don't expect a car to come through the boardwalk like it's just not normal."
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Gonzaba allegedly struck a 25-year-old woman, who was transferred to the hospital with injuries that included a fractured spine, broken ribs and a cut that required 20 stitches, prosecutors told KNSD-TV.
Gonzaba is being held without bail in the San Diego Central Jail after prosecutors noted that he has an extensive criminal history, KNSD reported.
Juan Antonio Gonzaba on the ground after being chased by citizens who witnessed him drive a car through a crowded pedestrian walkway. (Storyful / @alexhsrour via Storyful)
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If convicted on all charges, Gonzaba faces up to 24 years in prison, prosecutors said Wednesday. Gonzaba pleaded not guilty to all charges during his arraignment, KNSD reported.
Fox News Digital contacted the San Diego Police Department and the San Diego District Attorney's Office for further comment.
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