Man Charged With 8 Counts of Attempted Murder After Driving Into Youth Baseball Team in Truckee

On February 12, a 49-year-old man identified as Jonathan Maurer of Coalinga drove his pickup truck directly into a group of young baseball players conducting a fundraiser outside a Safeway store in Truckee, Nevada County.

The Incident

The 12U Tahoe Titans youth baseball team was raising funds for an upcoming trip to Cooperstown All Star Village in New York when Maurer's vehicle struck the group. According to reports, three team members, three parents, and one player's sibling were injured in the attack.

Witness accounts indicate the attack may have been premeditated. One parent, Jamie DeWit, described the moments leading to the attack: "He put a cigarette out on one of our signs, then came back out, gave us a weird look, mumbled something under his breath and walked away. The next thing I knew, myself and our boys were being pulled out of rubble."

Catcher Rowan Grant, one of the injured players, told local media: "I remember hearing the truck a half second before I got hit. When I got hit, I just felt a little tingle and then the pain came on. I got flung away."

Charges and Response

Maurer was taken into custody at the scene and booked into the Wayne Brown Correctional Facility in Nevada City. The Nevada County District Attorney's Office announced charges of eight counts of attempted murder and multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon, with several sentencing enhancements.

District Attorney Jesse Wilson released a statement about the severity of the case: "The allegations that this act was intentional and directed at kids is hard to comprehend. Our office will work through the criminal justice process and, if the evidence supports the charges, do everything we can, to the fullest extent of the law, to hold this individual accountable, send a clear message that this behavior has no place in society, and protect the public from further harm."

Court records indicate Maurer has an extensive criminal history.

Community Impact

The incident occurred in broad daylight at a busy location, shocking the Nevada County community. The Tahoe Titans youth team, which serves young athletes in the Sierra Nevada region, was conducting legitimate fundraising for their baseball program when the attack occurred.

The case remains under investigation by the Nevada County District Attorney's Office.