'Tesla road rage guy' alleged Hawaii attack is a 'failure of the system,' attorney says
Nathaniel Radimak pleaded not guilty on Thursday in a Hawaii courtroom to a felony charge for unauthorized entry into a more vehicle and two misdemeanor charges for assault to the third degree, according to Allred.
Those charges were in connection with his arrest earlier this month in Honolulu. Police said he exchanged words with an 18-year-old woman from a Tesla as she was attempting to park her car. He then allegedly assaulted the young woman and her 35-year-old mother.
Radimak, 38, has a history of similar attacks in California.
arrest photo of Nathaniel Radimak, May 8, 2025
Honolulu Police Department
He was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for his role in a series of road rage attacks throughout Los Angeles County. He only served about 250 days after his sentencing; however, he was given credit for time served and 212 days for good behavior.
The violent nature of these incidents, along with video that has gone viral, has led to Radimak gaining notoriety online. In all incidents, including the recent alleged attack in Hawaii, he was driving a Tesla. It's not yet clear if he moved to Hawaii or was just visiting.
During a news conference Friday, Allred criticized California's justice system for allowing him to go back on the streets.
"When justice is not done, the public is in danger," she said. Allred added that the incident in Hawaii likely violated his parole agreement back in California. He's being held in Hawaii on $100,000 bail, but if that bail were to be paid, Allred says he'd be held on a no-bail warrant for a parole violation.
Although it appears Radimak will remain in custody as the legal process plays out for the new charges, Allred criticized the handling of the case in California. She alleges that, before his 2024 early release from prison, the victims of the crimes he was convicted weren't able to give their input, a legal right.
One alleged victim on Friday, identified as Vivian Romero, said she's not surprised that Radimak allegedly struck again.
"Had he served a sentence of five years in California, these new attacks on women may have been prevented," she said. "I believe that these incidents were a foreseeable consequence of a system that repeatedly failed to address his pattern of violence and his pattern of behavior."
'Vigilante justice'
Radimak was allegedly assaulted by fellow inmates at the Hālawa Correctional Facility on May 12, according to the Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
As of Friday, it's not yet clear why the alleged assault took place, or if the offending inmates knew of Radimak's notoriety at the time.
Allred disavowed what she described as "vigilante justice" on Friday, although she didn't appear too sympathetic.
"Doesn't look like he had a good time in Hawaii in custody. I couldn't help myself," she said with a smirk. "I wouldn't wish a beating on anyone, even Mr. Radimak."
She then took a serious tone and stated a truth.
"Most of his victims have been women," Allred said. "Terrifying."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bryan Kohberger is being held in solitary confinement at Idaho prison as other inmates plotted to make him ‘miserable' ahead of his arrival
Bryan Kohberger, who pleaded guilty to killing four University of Idaho students, is being held in solitary confinement after his fellow inmates planned to make him 'miserable.' Kohberger, a 30-year-old former PhD criminology student, was sentenced to life behind bars — without the possibility of parole — after he broke into a Moscow home and stabbed four students to death in November 2022. He's being held at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution in the 'J block,' a long-term restrictive housing unit, records show. Kohberger was moved to the restrictive unit after complaining about his fellow inmates, who have been terrorizing him, NewsNation reported. They've shouted at him through the air ducts at all hours of the day to prevent him from sleeping or thinking to himself, the outlet reported. 'We are aware of Kohberger's complaints about what he considers taunting,' a spokesperson for the prison told The Independent in a statement. 'Incarcerated individuals commonly communicate with each other in prison. Bryan Kohberger is housed alone in a cell, and IDOC security staff maintain a safe and orderly environment for all individuals in our custody.' The Independent has reached out to Kohberger's lawyer for more information. 'The good news is the inmates apparently were waiting for him,' Chris McDonough, a retired homicide detective who now serves as the director of the Cold Case Foundation, told NewsNation. 'They are now making his life absolutely miserable. They're utilizing the vent system. They're kicking the doors. They're taunting him. And they're basically torturing him through using psychology,' he said. 'And my goodness, he's complaining.' The unit boasts single-person cells, restricts outdoor recreation time to just one hour per day and allows inmates to shower every other day, the prion spokesperson said. All 'J block' prisoners are moved in restraints and have have access to religious services, communication through JPay, and can place commissary orders. The convicted murderer is no longer in harm's way, but is still complaining to guards, the former detective said. 'The guards at this point, all the most they can do is write it down or tell him, 'Hey, there's nothing we can do. You're not in physical harm,'' McDonough told the outlet. 'They're under obligation to basically protect him, right? But in this particular situation, he's in an isolation situation. Those around him can't get to him physically,' he said. 'So, they've come up, again, a way of circumventing what the rules may be. Communications are a no-no within the prison. Inmates are extremely creative.' 'J Block' can house up to 128 individuals and includes populations in general population protective custody, long-term restrictive housing, and death row, the prison spokesperson said. 'It's really a prison within a prison. However, the disadvantage that he's at, is that there's not a whole bunch of room where they can start moving other inmates around,' he said. 'So what they wanna do is keep him in protective custody right now until he goes through the process.' Kohberger hasn't revealed his motive behind the killings of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. Prosecutors have admitted there's no known connection between Kohberger and the victims. He accepted a plea deal — admitting to the quadruple murders in exchange for prosecutors' dropping the death penalty — last month, putting an end to any hopes of a trial, which was scheduled to begin in August. Families were divided over the plea deal. Loved ones of Goncalves and Kernodle expressed disappointment over the lack of a trial. 'This ain't justice, no judge presided, no jury weighed the truth,' Goncalves' family wrote in a statement. 'Thompson robbed us of our day in court. No negotiations, no jury of our peers, not even the pretense of cooperation and fairness.' Kernodle's father told The New York Times that he does 'not agree' with the plea deal, and said he is 'disappointed in the prosecutors' decision.' But loved ones of Chapin and Mogen supported the move. 'While we know there are some who do not support it, we ask that they respect our belief that this is the best outcome,' Mogen's family said in a statement. 'We now embark on a path of hope and healing.'
CBS News
15 minutes ago
- CBS News
Former student claims Chicago Public Schools failed to check background of security guard accused of sex assault
A former Chicago Public Schools student is suing the Chicago Board of Education, claiming it failed to conduct a proper background check on the security guard who is charged with sexually assaulting her. Police reports identify the security guard as a known gang member. Romel Campoverde, 45, worked as a security guard at Farragut Career Academy IB World School, 2345 S. Christiana Ave. In July 2023, he was hit with 11 charges — ranging from criminal sexual assault to aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Campoverde is now on home arrest awaiting trial. Campoverde is also the subject of police reports spanning 20 years. A brand-new lawsuit claims the Chicago Public Schools did not look closely enough before hiring at Farragut — where he was charged with sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl he met at the school during her freshman year. Prosecutors two years ago said Campoverde began communicating with the teenage student on Snapchat. The two then began meeting each other during the victim's sophomore year, when on separate occasions, he took her to the mall to buy shoes, gave her $40 to get her hair done, and bought her alcohol, prosecutors said. He also invited her to his home after prom on May 20, 2023, prosecutors said. On June 25, 2023, Campoverde took the girl to a McDonald's and bought eight cans of a tequila-mixed drink, prosecutors said. He had the girl drink six of them, and he drank two himself, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said the girl became "extremely intoxicated," and Campoverde took her to 31st Street beach, where he kissed her as he drove around, and he pulled down her shirt and put his mouth on her breasts. He then took her to his RV near 26th Street and Blue Island Avenue, where he pulled off her shorts, and tried to perform oral sex on her, but she pushed his head away, prosecutors said. Campoverde then ignored her pleas to stop and sexually assaulted her, prosecutors alleged. The victim pushed him away again and ran outside and called a friend. Campoverde came out of the RV and told the girl to get in his car, and he drove her home, prosecutors said. The girl reported the attack to an afterschool program employee the next day, prosecutors said. A rape kit was collected, and police obtained a search warrant. Campoverde was arrested on July 10, 2023. Attorney Mark Brown, representing the now-18-year-old behind the lawsuit, said she took a year off of school following the assault and changed schools — and thus, she still hasn't graduated from high school. Brown read the teenage girl's statement: "I used to be a happy outgoing teenager. I loved school. I trusted adults. After the attack I couldn't go back to my school. I missed a whole year because I was too afraid." Attorneys said Campoverde should never have been in a school to begin with. "They were required to seek an explanation from him, according to their own policies, and they did nothing," Brown said. Attorneys claim the Chicago Public Schools violated their own policy by not taking a closer look at his background. "They stopped at just receiving the basic list of arrests and convictions," said Brown. "They were supposed to do a deeper dive once they knew he had these convictions and had these arrests." CBS News Chicago took a closer look the police reports and arrests and found more than arrests. Police referred to Campoverde in documents as a "documented Satan Disciple street gang member." The police reports also documented a history of narcotics, battery and aggravated assault charges in Campoverde's background. CBS News Chicago brought the claims in the lawsuit directly to CPS, which replied with this statement: "Chicago Public Schools (CPS) remains committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of its students. In accordance with District policy, CPS does not comment on matters involving pending litigation." Chicago police deferred to CPS when CBS News Chicago reached out to the department with questions.
Washington Post
16 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Jury finds Texas couple guilty of concealing and harboring bakery workers in the US illegally
Two South Texas bakery owners are guilty of concealing and harboring employees in the U.S. illegally, a jury found Wednesday afternoon following a trial that only lasted three days. Leonardo Baez and Nora Avila-Guel , a Mexican couple who have legal permanent residence in the U.S., were charged after being arrested at their bakery along with eight employees in February. It's a rare case in which business owners are charged with criminal offenses rather than just a fine.
