Man identified, arrested after allegedly driving moving truck into Los Angeles crowd at anti-Iranian regime rally
A man has been arrested after allegedly injuring two people after driving a moving truck into a large crowd of demonstrators during an anti-Iranian regime protest in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon.
The Los Angeles Police Department identified the driver as 48-year-old Calor Madanescht. He has been booked for reckless driving but has not been officially charged.
The rally was scheduled for 2 p.m. outside of the Wilshire Federal Building in the 11000 block of Wilshire Boulevard, where thousands of people gathered to show solidarity with the ongoing protests in Iran, which have resulted in more than 500 deaths in violence surrounding the demonstrations, according to U.S.-based activists.
The LAPD said officers were monitoring the protest when the driver allegedly drove into a crowd about a block from the Federal Building near Veteran Avenue and Ohio Avenue, a little before 3:30 p.m., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Officers stopped the truck and directed the driver to turn around. In a Police allege Madanescht drove toward a group of LAPD officers.
Paramedics said that two people were treated at the scene but denied transport to the hospital. Firefighters also stated that they were searching for a third person who may have been injured, but they later said there was no additional victim.
The LAPD said people from the crowd jumped out of the way trying to avoid getting hit by the truck. The LAPD added that officers formed a skirmish line in between the truck and the crowd and took the driver into custody.
The box truck was covered in banners that said, "No Shah. No regime USA don't repeat 1953. No Mullah." Video from the scene showed the demonstrators ripping the banners off the truck after it came to a stop.
By 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, a large number of the demonstrators involved in the rally had already begun to leave the area. It was scheduled to end at 4 p.m., according to event organizers. During the rally, members of the crowd shouted "Free Iran" and "End the regime," while some members carried a giant Iranian flag that stretched nearly a block.
SkyCal flew over the spot where the truck came to a stop, which was surrounded by a large perimeter of crime scene tape. The cargo area of the truck appeared to be empty as the door was open, with Los Angeles police investigators surveying the area surrounding the truck. The windshield and windows of the truck appeared to be shattered, and shards of glass were seen on the street below the vehicle.
LAPD's Major Crimes detectives are leading the investigation, with members of their Joint Terrorism Task Force and the FBI assisting, a senior LAPD source told CBS News. Authorities remained on the scene overnight as their investigation continued. The truck was towed from the scene shortly before 10 p.m.
