SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A bizarre series of events led to a woman visiting San Diego with her family, getting attacked in a Hyatt Hotel lobby by a stranger running from a crash scene.
Construction workers tell 10News they witnessed a man drive recklessly through a Mission Bay construction zone around 5 a.m., almost striking vehicles.
The workers say they jumped in their truck and followed the driver down Quivira Road hoping to get his license plate information.
Instead, they say the driver made a U-turn and crashed into their truck and a parked car. The driver’s car immediately burst into flames, but he wasn’t done just yet.
According to the construction workers, the man then ran from the scene toward the Hyatt Hotel in Mission Bay.
They say they chased him on foot, and held him down in the hotel lobby, waiting for police to arrive.
Witnesses tell 10News that’s when the man got away and attacked a woman who was in the lobby checking out of the hotel.
The woman’s husband told 10News the man tackled her then put her in the choke hold. The victim’s mother said she believes the suspect was trying to kill her daughter.
The victim, her husband and parents were visiting San Diego from Minnesota. They were scheduled to continue their vacation by flying out to Hawaii this morning.
They have to reschedule the trip because the victim was taken to the hospital.
Police arrested the suspect. They say his motive is unclear.
Investigators have not yet determined if the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash.
