Several women who were assaulted by an angry, pipe-wielding Tesla driver say they’re frustrated with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for not getting involved in the case.
Nathaniel Radimak’s “reign of terror” escalated in late 2022 and early 2023 before he was identified and eventually arrested. But prosecutors say he had been terrorising drivers for years.
“He immediately got out of his vehicle with a crowbar in his hand, visibly angry, ran up to my car and repeatedly struck my car with a crowbar,” one of Radimak’s victims, Beth Lamprecht, said at a news conference on Tuesday.
Prosecutors said Radimak also threatened to attack a woman at a storage facility in Atwater Village and a 74-year-old woman outside a doctor’s office in Glendale.
In September, he was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to assault, vandalism, elder abuse and criminal threats. His victims, represented by women’s rights lawyer Gloria Allred, insist the punishment does not fit the crime.
“Victims are supposed to have the opportunity to make a statement and have our voices heard in court before a plea deal is made, but the system failed us,” Vivian Romero said at a press conference on Tuesday.
“The prosecution never informed me of the status of this case. I was never informed of my rights under Marsy’s Law,” said another victim, Gabriella.
Marsy’s Law, named after UC Santa Barbara student Marsy Nicholas, who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 1983, was approved by California voters in 2008. It ensures that victims and their families are involved in every step of the criminal justice process.
At the moment, Allred says, there are no legal remedies to give her clients a voice. Her hope, she says, is that future victims will be respected.
In a statement to KTLA, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said:
“At the beginning of each case, we send each victim a document explaining their rights under Marsy’s Law. Since that initial communication, the DDA assigned to the case has been in contact with the victims in this matter and has provided them with the terms of the plea agreement as well as information regarding restitution.”
Radimak will be eligible for parole in July 2025.
