Santa Monica Pier Road Rage Driver Aims For Crowd: Police

SANTA MONICA, CA – A 22-year-old man was arrested Monday after allegedly driving a vehicle onto the Santa Monica Pier, injuring a person, and crashing into the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. restaurant, police said.

Daniel Arroyos was booked on suspicion of attempted murder following the crash, which occurred shortly before 5 a.m., said Santa Monica police Sgt. Roberto Villegas.

About 1:20 a.m., Arroyos allegedly got into a dispute with other people on the pier, and he left the scene on foot, leaving his vehicle parked in a nearby lot, Villegas said.

When Arroyos returned, he allegedly got into his vehicle, saw the people from the earlier dispute, and drove around protective barriers and onto the pier toward them, slightly injuring one of them, Villegas said.

The vehicle struck the restaurant, along with a rowboat that was on display and a railing, and became disabled, Villegas said.

Watch Now: Angry Driver Drives Into Santa Monica Pier Crowd

City News Service and Patch staffer Emily Holland contributed to this post; Image via Shutterstock