Arrest Made In Projectile-Throwing Case

MONTEREY COUNTY, CA — The California Highway Patrol has arrested Charles Kenneth Lafferty, 52, on suspicion of 21 charges, including 10 counts of throwing an object at a moving vehicle, 10 counts of assault with a deadly weapon and a count of possessing a firearm silencer, CHP announced during a Thursday press conference. CHP believes he worked alone and used a slingshot and marbles to hit cars at random, and there is no indication a gun was used.

The charges come after nearly 70 reports of projectiles striking cars driving along Highways 156 and 101 near Prunedale. The last reported incident occurred on Jan. 5, said CHP Coastal Division Chief LD Maples.

Five people were injured, including four adults and a child, CHP said in a press release.

Officers soon identified the suspect vehicle as a GMC Sonoma pickup truck and linked it to several other incidents. Officials kept an eye on the car and identified Lafferty as a suspect, Maples said.

CHP charged Lafferty in connection with 10 victims, but CHP Monterey Cpt. Kyle Foster said he believes Lafferty will face additional counts as CHP continues to process evidence.

Lafferty was arrested and booked into jail Wednesday, jail records show. He is being held in lieu of $250,000 bail.

He has ties to the Monterey area and elsewhere in the Central Coast region, Maples said.

"The roads are safe," said Congressman Jimmy Panetta at the press conference. "I no longer have to pull down the visors, just in case."

CHP created a task force of five officers and a Monterey County Sheriff's Office deputy, Maples said. Lafferty appeared surprised at the time of his arrest, CHP said.

The investigation is ongoing, so CHP declined to elaborate on specifics about how it tracked down Lafferty or how investigators think he allegedly carried out the attacks. Anyone with information is asked to call CHP's Monterey office at (831) 770-8000.

Watch the press conference here:

Correction: An earlier version of this report misstated Lafferty's age.