The man accused of driving a U-Haul truck through a packed protest in Westwood on Sunday has been identified and charged with a misdemeanor.
Police said 48-year-old Calor Madanescht was arrested after he was interviewed by the FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department. He was booked into jail on $0 bail.
On Sunday, thousands of people were marching in Westwood in support of protestors in Iran when the truck pulled around the corner.
“The people [were] shouting and screaming, 'This is…no, no, this is not the way that you have to come,’” one witness told KNX News’ Emily Valdez.
Video showed the crowd surrounding the truck and ripping off posters from the truck that went against what they were protesting, while some people went after the driver.
“Some people go and try to stop him, and then he started driving,” the witness continued. “And I just filmed and people [are] screaming.”
Protesters jumped on top of the U-Haul van, and eventually the driver stopped. He was removed from the truck by the police as protesters were beating him. Valdez reported that the reason he didn't hit anyone was that protesters were jumping out of the way.
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