Full Notification

Subject pepper sprays and brandishes a knife while threatening a victim and then vandalizes the victim’s vehicle for no apparent reason.
 
San Mateo, CA – On Thursday, January 2, 2025, at 3:56pm, San Mateo Police received a call of a knife brandishing accompanied by pepper spraying in the 100 block of S. Ellsworth Ave. Officers responded to the area and met the victim who was displaying obvious signs of being pepper sprayed. As the effects of the pepper spray subsided, the victim was able to relay he had been sitting in his vehicle when a Tesla pulled up beside him. The unknown driver of the Tesla made “shooting” gestures with his hands towards the victim. He then parked in front of the victim vehicle, got out, walked toward the victim while brandishing a folding knife and threatened to stab the unsuspecting victim. The suspect approached the passenger side of the victim vehicle, where he kicked the rear panel causing approximately $2000 in damage. He then pepper sprayed the victim through an open front passenger window, as the victim attempted to drive off while calling police. (The motive for this crime is unknown as neither party knew each other.)
 
Part of the incident was captured on the victim’s cell phone and a witness was able to provide a photo and license plate of both the suspect and suspect vehicle. With this information, officers were able to determine the suspect vehicle was a rental car (scheduled to be returned the next day – 1/3/25) and identified the driver as Alexander Williams. A decision was made to safely detain Williams when he returned the rental vehicle in Fremont, CA. After surveilling the rental car business for several hours on 1/3/25, Williams did not return the car.
 
Between Saturday, January 4^th at 11:49pm and Sunday, January 5, 2025, just after midnight, San Mateo automated license plate readers alerted us to the presence of the Tesla in our city. A couple minutes later, a San Mateo PD Sergeant located the vehicle driving northbound on US Highway 101. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver yielded in the area of San Bruno Ave. in San Bruno, CA. The driver, confirmed to be Alexander Williams, was arrested and taken into custody. During a search incident to arrest, two bottles of OC spray and a folding knife were located on Williams’ person. He was transported to and booked into the San Mateo County Jail on the below charges.
 
ARRESTED:
Alexander Williams, age 34, San Jose resident
CHARGES:
422(a)PC – Criminal Threats, 594(a)(1)PC – Vandalism, 417(a)(1)PC – Brandishing, and 242PC – Battery