CHP arrest man for shooting projectile at Tesla on I-5. The footage went viral on TikTok

A driver was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of shooting a projectile at a vehicle last week on Interstate 5 near Cosumnes River Boulevard, the California Highway Patrol said.

On June 29, a motorist was driving his Tesla Model Y around 8 a.m. when his right rear window shattered, according to a news release from the CHP’s South Sacrament office. The motorist drove to work and later reviewed the camera footage from his vehicle’s cameras before contacting authorities.

In the footage, which was posted to TikTok and received over 78,000 views, a man driving a Nissan Rogue approached the right side of the Tesla and fired some type of projectile. The CHP said the man in the Nissan continued to drive down southbound I-5.

Officers reviewed the video and determined that a firearm was not the weapon involved, the release said. A suspect was also identified after further review.

At 7 a.m. Wednesday, investigators from the CHP Valley Division and other officers located the suspect vehicle in North Highlands and served a search warrant as it sat parked near the 4900 block of Don Julio Boulevard, the CHP said.

While executing the warrant, they found the suspect sleeping inside — identified as Jose Elesio Capacho-Bonilla, 42.

Officers found two types of homemade contraptions used for shooting projectiles inside, the CHP said. Also inside the vehicle: numerous BB guns and “10 to 11 golf ball/marble-sized rocks which had been shaped down into round balls,” the release said.

The CHP said the damage done to the Tesla was consistent with projectiles being shot out of the vehicle.

Bonilla was arrested and booked into Sacramento County Main Jail. He faces four charges— including felony assault with a deadly weapon and throwing a substance at a vehicle or occupant — according to jail records.

Bonilla’s bail is set at $50,000 and he’s scheduled to appear in court on Friday.

This story was originally published July 7, 2021 at 8:30 PM.