Man Facing 79 Charges In Prunedale Projectile-Throwing Case

PRUNEDALE, CA — Charles Kenneth Lafferty — the man accused of flinging marbles with a slingshot to hit cars near Prunedale at random — now faces 79 charges related to the projectile incidents.

The 79 charges include: 74 counts of assault with a deadly weapon; three counts of child abuse, in cases where children were in cars that were struck; and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, said Assistant District Attorney Matthew L'Heureux. L'Heureux said he would not elaborate on the peace officer charges until they were discussed in court.

The Monterey County District Attorney's Office filed the new charges on Monday morning, he said. That's up from 21 charges filed last week.

Read: Arrest Made In Projectile-Throwing Case

Lafferty, 52, is accused of flinging marbles at cars passing near Prunedale on Highways 156 and 101. Five people were injured, including four adults and a child, the California Highway Patrol said.

The last reported incident occurred on Jan. 5, said CHP Coastal Division Chief LD Maples in a press conference last week. 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.

Lafferty was arrested and booked into jail Wednesday, jail records show.

The manhunt to find a suspect in the projectile case was resource-intensive. CHP created a task force of five officers and a Monterey County Sheriff's Office deputy, Maples said. A reward for $15,000 was offered for information leading to his arrest.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call CHP's Monterey office at (831) 770-8000.