A tow truck employee was arrested on suspicion of stabbing his coworker who was driving the truck on a Riverside County freeway over the weekend, officials said Tuesday.
The alleged attack happened shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday on the westbound lanes of State Route 60 in Moreno Valley.
The two employees of Hadley’s Tow were traveling in the company truck when they got into an argument, according to California Highway Patrol.
As the argument escalated, the passenger, identified as Francisco Garcia, stabbed the driver multiple times with a screwdriver, CHP officials said in a news release.
The victim managed to pull the truck over to the shoulder of the freeway and got out of the vehicle.
Garcia then got into the driver’s seat and tried to run over the victim before fleeing the scene, CHP said.
The victim was taken to Riverside University Health System, where he was treated for moderate injuries.
Garcia was found at Cahuilla Casino Hotel in Anza on Monday and was taken into custody with help from the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force.
He was booked into Robert Presley Detention Center on felony charges as investigators continued to search for the tow truck.
No further details were available and it’s unclear what led up to the argument that escalated into violence.
“The safety of the motoring public is our top priority,” said CHP Captain Levi Miller. “The CHP takes any incidence of highway violence very seriously and actively investigates each one with the end goal of arresting those responsible.”
CHP is asking any witnesses who may have seen what happened on the highway to contact Officer Niko Le Beau at the CHP Riverside Area office at 951-637-8000.