A late-night dispute in Southern California escalated into a frightening attack when authorities say an angry man used a tractor to crush a woman’s car while she was still inside.
Levi P. Gaze, 38, is accused of driving a front-loader tractor into the vehicle several times at about 12:03 a.m. Saturday in the 1700 block of Sinton Road in Santa Maria, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said.
Despite the damage to the car, the woman was able to get out and was not seriously injured, officials said.
According to investigators, Gaze allegedly turned to the heavy equipment during the argument before deputies arrived. Sheriff’s officials said deputies safely “contacted Gaze while he was still in the front loader and took him into custody without incident.”
Gaze was taken to the Northern Branch Jail and booked on felony charges of vandalism and assault with a deadly weapon. Jail records indicate he is being held without bail due to an outstanding warrant from San Luis Obispo County.
The California case comes after a similar incident in Florida in late July, where authorities said a man also used a tractor to destroy a vehicle.
In that case, 52-year-old Johnny Paulk allegedly tried to ram a roadside crew’s vehicle and threatened to run over workers after they flashed lights near his property.
“He tried to kill us, the ground stopped his forks. He said he was going to flip our truck,” one victim told an officer, according to LOCAL 12.
