Slingshot marble attacks on 70 vehicles send man to prison, California officials say

A man accused of slinging marbles at more than 70 vehicles on California highways will spend up to 15 years in prison, Monterey County officials say.

Charles Kenneth Lafferty, 54, pleaded guilty to 28 counts of assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon against a peace officer in the attacks, the district attorney’s office said in a news release.

After his arrest, Lafferty admitted to using a slingshot to fire marbles at traffic, but never provided a reason for his actions, the release said.

Six people were injured by flying glass in the attacks, which caused no accidents, prosecutors said. Two attacks were against a California Highway Patrol vehicle investigating earlier incidents.

CHP officers arrested Lafferty in January 2020 after investigating at least 70 reports of vehicles hit by marbles since February 2019, the release said.

His vehicle was sighted at some of the incidents, prompting investigators to conduct a “detailed digital forensic analysis” that led to his arrest in Nipomo.

Officers seized “a slingshot, a slingshot replacement band, and 55 marbles from Lafferty’s vehicle” during his arrest, the release said.

This story was originally published June 30, 2021 at 8:58 AM with the headline "Slingshot marble attacks on 70 vehicles send man to prison, California officials say."