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Shirtless man subdued by witnesses after throwing rocks at buses, vehicles in LA

LOS ANGELES – A shirtless man seen on cellphone video smashing car windows with rocks as he walked up and down a busy street in the Mid-City area of Los A...
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LOS ANGELES - A shirtless man seen on cellphone video smashing car windows with rocks as he walked up and down a busy street in the Mid-City area of Los Angeles Tuesday was eventually subdued by members of the public.

Police received a call about a transient throwing rocks at vehicles near the intersection of Venice Boulevard and South Fairfax Avenue at about 3:50 p.m., Los Angeles Police Department Officer Norma Eisenman said.

The man was later identified as 32-year-old Emmanuel Moncada, LAPD Officer Mike Lopez said.

Video taken by a witness and provided to KTLA showed a shirtless man on Venice Boulevard as a line of cars waited for him to get out of the street.

Several feet in front of Moncada, a smashed rear passenger window can be seen on an SUV that had apparently been struck by a rock.

Eventually, a white SUV tries to drive by in the far-left lane, but Moncada throws a rock at the vehicle that smashes one of its rear passenger windows.

Douglas Abraham said he was among those targeted. He said he first noticed cars going over the center divider, and wondered why — then Moncada approached him.

"He was waving me in like I was the next victim to get hit with a rock, and so I was thinking, ‘Should I run him over, or should I just brace for the rock impact?’ ”

After doing the same thing to the window of another vehicle, Moncada collects even more rocks and walks toward two busses that are waiting amid the traffic on Venice Boulevard.

He begins repeatedly throwing the rocks at one of the buses’ front windows before walking over to the second bus and doing the same thing.

The driver of that bus ordered everyone off and then fled as well, Eisenman said.

Moncada, however, boarded the bus and attempted to take it, Eisenman said.

Video showed that's when he was finally confronted by several people who dragged him out of the bus and onto the sidewalk.

After being punched and kicked several times, a bloodied Moncada was eventually thrown to the ground and had his hands restrained behind his back.

Abraham can be seen in the cellphone video using zip ties to restrain the suspect's hands.

“Everybody did a great, great job trying to get this guy down," he said. "I applaud them, they’re really the heroes.”

Abraham added that he didn't hear Moncada utter a word during the whole ordeal, though he did groan while being restrained.

Police arrived and arrested Moncada on suspicion of attempted carjacking and assault with a deadly weapon, Eisenman said.

One person and 16 vehicles were apparently struck by rocks during the incident, according to officials. But Abraham alleges more than 40 cars were hit.

Moncada was being held on $100,000 bail, inmate records show.

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