LAPD Weighs Assault Charges After U-Haul Enters LA Anti‑Iran Regime Protest; Driver Says Police Waved Him Through
A U‑Haul box truck drove into a dense anti‑Iranian‑regime rally near the Wilshire Federal Building in Westwood shortly before 3:30 p.m., striking at least one person and prompting medics to evaluate two others as video shows demonstrators swarming the stopped vehicle and assaulting the driver while police detained a man. LAPD Major Crimes detectives, with assistance from the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the FBI, have detained and are booking the driver — identified by some outlets as 48‑year‑old Calor Madanescht — and are investigating possible assault‑with‑a‑deadly‑weapon or related charges; Madanescht says an officer waved him through and that he was trying to join the protest, but authorities are still determining motive.
📌 Key Facts
- Around 3:30 p.m. Jan. 12, a U‑Haul box truck drove into a crowd about a block from the Wilshire Federal Building near Veteran Avenue and Ohio Avenue during a large anti‑Iranian‑regime rally that drew thousands.
- The Los Angeles Fire Department evaluated two people at the scene who declined hospital transport; LAPD said one adult male was struck but reported no significant injuries and no one was taken to a hospital.
- Video and eyewitnesses show demonstrators swarming the stopped truck—punching the driver, thrusting flagpoles through a window, stomping the windshield and forcing doors closed—while officers pulled a man from the cab and detained him.
- LAPD Major Crimes detectives, with assistance from the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the FBI, led the investigation; police detained the driver and later took him into custody for arrest and booking.
- Capt. Richard Gabaldon said investigators were considering assault with a deadly weapon charges, with the vehicle treated as the potential weapon, and authorities were still determining motive and any related charges.
- The truck displayed a banner referencing 'No Shah. No Regime. USA: Don’t Repeat 1953. No Mullah,' and the Iranian American Republican Council described the incident as a 'terrorist attack,' calling for a full, transparent investigation.
- The driver was later identified as 48‑year‑old Calor Madanescht, who said an LAPD officer waved him onto Veteran Avenue, that he meant to join (not attack) the protest, that a rival pro‑Shah group attacked him, that some protesters opened a path and told him to 'go' to escape, and he showed visible injuries while insisting he had no intention to hit anyone.
📊 Relevant Data
Los Angeles County is home to approximately 138,000 Iranian-Americans as of 2023, representing the largest concentration of Iranians outside of Iran.
Mapping the Iranian diaspora in America — UCLA Newsroom
The Iranian opposition, including in the diaspora, is fragmented with divisions between monarchists supporting Reza Pahlavi (son of the last Shah) and other groups advocating for a secular republic or different forms of governance, stemming from historical grievances post-1979 revolution.
Which are Iran's main opposition groups? — Al Jazeera
In a 2022 survey of Iranians (primarily inside Iran), 66% expressed a positive view of Reza Shah Pahlavi, indicating persistent monarchist sentiments that could extend to diaspora communities.
Iranians' Attitudes toward Political Systems: A 2022 Survey Report — GAMAAN
Iranian immigration to the US, particularly to California, surged after the 1979 revolution, with over 400,000 Iranian-born individuals in the US by the mid-2020s, driven by political persecution and economic factors, leading to demographic growth in areas like Los Angeles.
Why So Many Iranian Immigrants Live in California — The New York Times
📰 Source Timeline (7)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Driver is publicly identified as 48-year-old Calor Madanescht.
- Madanescht claims an LAPD officer waved him onto Veteran Avenue and that he was trying to join, not attack, the protest.
- He says a rival pro‑Shah group attacked him, prompting him to drive through the crowd, and that some protesters opened a path and told him to "go" so he could escape.
- Madanescht shows visible injuries (bandaged hand, cut ear, bruises, black eyes) and says protesters punched and beat him after he stopped.
- On-camera witness (identified as Mehdi) supports that protesters assaulted the driver and argues he had a right to free speech, while another questions the claim LAPD waved him in.
- Madanescht reiterates he "had no intention to hit anybody" and that he was at the protest to support human rights in Iran.
- Confirms that two people were hurt when the U-Haul drove into the anti–Iranian-regime crowd in Los Angeles.
- Reiterates that investigators are still determining motive and whether the driver will face assault-with-a-deadly-weapon or related charges.
- Visually documents the size and density of the protest crowd at the time of the incident, underscoring how serious the outcome could have been.
- LAPD confirms the driver is in custody and in the process of being arrested and booked, though not yet publicly identified.
- Capt. Richard Gabaldon states police are investigating possible assault with a deadly weapon charges, with the 'deadly weapon' being the vehicle.
- Los Angeles Fire Department confirms one man was treated on scene for minor injuries and two others were evaluated and declined treatment.
- Police and Mayor Karen Bass decline to answer further questions about the driver's condition or additional details of the confrontation.
- Confirms LAPD’s initial assessment that one adult male was struck by the truck, treated at the scene by a rescue ambulance and that no one was transported to a hospital, with 'no significant injuries' reported.
- Provides additional eyewitness/video detail that protesters jabbed the driver through the passenger-side window with flagpoles, stomped the windshield, and repeatedly forced the driver’s door closed as he tried to exit.
- Reports that the Iranian American Republican Council publicly condemned the incident and characterized it as a 'terrorist attack,' calling for a 'full and transparent' investigation and full accountability.
- Reiterates that LAPD has detained the adult male driver, whose identity and specific charges have not yet been released, and that the incident took place near the Federal Building in Westwood at about 3:30 p.m.
- AP specifies that the U‑Haul box truck drove down a street 'crowded with marchers' demonstrating in support of the Iranian people, causing protesters to scramble out of the way.
- Los Angeles police say one person was hit by the truck but that no one was seriously hurt; LAFD reports two people were evaluated by paramedics and both declined treatment.
- ABC7 helicopter footage described by AP shows demonstrators swarming the stopped truck, throwing punches at the driver and thrusting flagpoles through the driver’s‑side window before police held the crowd back.
- Police confirm the driver, an unidentified man, was detained 'pending further investigation.'
- AP notes a banner on the truck reading “No Shah. No Regime. USA: Don’t Repeat 1953. No Mullah,” tying the incident to references to the 1953 U.S.-backed coup in Iran.
- Confirms time and place: the truck drove into a crowd about a block from the Wilshire Federal Building near Veteran Avenue and Ohio Avenue shortly before 3:30 p.m.
- Los Angeles Fire Department treated two injured people at the scene; both declined hospital transport, and a search for a suspected third victim turned up no additional casualties.
- Video shows LAPD officers pulling a man from the cab, detaining him as some in the crowd appear to attack him; police say the truck’s driver is being questioned but have not yet reported an arrest.
- LAPD Major Crimes detectives are leading the investigation with assistance from the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the FBI, and authorities expect to remain on scene overnight.
- The rally drew thousands outside the Wilshire Federal Building, with demonstrators chanting 'Free Iran' and 'End the regime' and carrying a block‑long Iranian flag.