Safeway shopper tries killing youth baseball players by mowing them down with pickup truck after stubbing out cigarette on their fundraiser sign: Authorities
Posted For: Hauviette
A 49-year-old man, Jonathan Maurer, has been charged with eight counts of attempted murder and multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly driving his pickup truck into a group of youth baseball players and their families outside a Safeway store in Truckee, California. The Nevada County District Attorney’s Office also noted several sentencing enhancements, including allegations of great bodily injury and prior criminal history.
The victims were part of the Tahoe Titans baseball team, who were fundraising by selling beef jerky to support their upcoming trip to Cooperstown All-Star Village in New York. By 2 p.m., the team had raised $2,000 — until the attack occurred.
According to a GoFundMe page set up for the team, the truck struck the table and ran over several boys and parents, sending two boys and one mother to the hospital by ambulance. In total, seven people were injured: three players, three parents, and one additional family member. All survived.
One parent, Jamie DeWit, recalled seeing the man put out a cigarette on one of their signs before returning to the group, giving a strange look, muttering something, and walking away. “The next thing I knew, myself and our boys were being pulled out of rubble,” she said. Player Rowan Grant described being flung by the impact: “I remember hearing the truck a half second before I got hit… I just felt a little tingle, and then the pain came on.”
A photo shared on GoFundMe shows a white pickup truck pressed against the store with shattered glass and damage nearby.
Nevada County District Attorney Jesse Wilson said, “The allegations that this act was intentional and directed at kids are hard to comprehend. Our office will pursue the charges to the fullest extent of the law to hold this individual accountable and protect the public from further harm.”
Authorities have not released a possible motive for Maurer. Despite the ordeal, the Tahoe Titans expressed gratitude for community support and remain excited about their New York trip.
About Post Author
