Vigilante Delivery, $2.2 Million Bail For Alleged Homicidal Driver
San Andreas, CA — Tethered to a telephone pole at the incident scene, deputies found and arrested a man who reportedly struck and injured another a few hours earlier.
According to Calaveras County Sheriff’s officials, deputies and CHP officers responded at around 4:30 p.m. Friday to the scene of a vehicle versus pedestrian incident, as reported here.
On Tuesday more details were released as follows. Upon the units’ arrival at the intersection of Nall Street and Westhill Road in Valley Springs, they heard that 29-year-old Thomas Bechtold, who had become involved in a verbal argument with 47-year-old James Leslie, got behind the wheel of his vehicle and drove it into Leslie, knocking him unconscious, and then fled the area.
After investigating the scene, deputies began seeking Bechtold in connection to the incident. Sheriff’s officials are now sharing that at around 7:30 p.m. that night, subsequently located him after receiving a report that he had been “dropped off” near the same intersection. Arriving units found him, apparently battered and tied to a telephone pole, hands secured behind his back.
Bechtold, was transported from the scene and booked into the Calaveras County Jail where he is being held on $2,195,000 bail for charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, battery with serious injury and felony hit and run.
As the investigation is ongoing, sheriff’s officials ask anyone with information to contact the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Department Anonymous Tip Line at 209 754-6030 or Sheriff Office at 754-6500.
