San Diego Bystanders Chase Tesla Thief After Woman Is Hit

A suspected car thief was tackled by bystanders after allegedly driving a stolen Tesla through a crowded San Diego pedestrian walkway, where the vehicle struck a woman and left her seriously injured.

Video footage captures 39-year-old Juan Antonio Gonzaba abandoning the Tesla and running across a parking lot. Police told multiple local media outlets that the vehicle had been reported stolen.

Alex Srour pursued Gonzaba and managed to shove him as he ran, sending the suspect tumbling to the ground while other witnesses moved in.

“I hear somebody behind me just scream like, ‘Watch out.’ And then I look and there’s like a Tesla just barreling at me going like 70 miles an hour,” Srour told KABC-TV.

The San Diego Sheriff’s Office said Gonzaba was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, hit-and-run and auto theft in connection with the incident.

Srour captured the chaos using smart glasses he was wearing. He said the Tesla sideswiped him as it sped along the pedestrian boardwalk.

“He hit my bike, and it like pushed me really, it like launched me off to the side,” Srour told KABC. “People don’t expect a car to come through the boardwalk like it’s just not normal.”

Prosecutors told KNSD-TV that Gonzaba allegedly struck a 25-year-old woman. She was taken to a hospital with a fractured spine, broken ribs and a laceration that required 20 stitches.

Gonzaba remains held without bail at San Diego Central Jail. KNSD reported that prosecutors cited his extensive criminal record in arguing for his detention.

If found guilty of all charges, Gonzaba could receive a sentence of up to 24 years in prison, prosecutors said Wednesday. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment, according to KNSD.

News Outlet reached out to the San Diego Police Department and the San Diego District Attorney’s Office for additional comment.