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Man threw full bottles of liquid at passing cars, police say

ELLWOOD CITY, Pa. — A Lawrence County man is behind bars after throwing full bottles of liquid from his car at drivers.

Investigators believe James McDonald was throwing the objects at cars as he drove by in a black SUV.

Drivers reported having hundreds of dollars worth of damage to their cars and nearly getting into crashes.

The incidents generally happened on Wednesdays between 9 and 11 p.m.

McDonald is accused of throwing full bottles of liquid at passing cars in Ellwood City.

When McDonald was arrested moments after throwing a glass bottle at a vehicle, which happened to be an undercover trooper's cruiser, investigators found marijuana and paraphernalia inside his SUV.

McDonald had been on the radar of investigators for weeks, but he always managed to get away.

"I'm happy because now our kids will be safe or anybody driving," said Tanya Ables. "After my son was hit, five more got hit."

Six weeks ago, her teenage son's car was hit by a glass bottle full of liquid while he was driving.

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It happened late at night and cracked the windshield, nearly causing him to crash.

That account mirrored the stories of several other drivers.

Ables suspected the culprits were children. When Channel 11 told her it was a man in his 40s, she said, "Very shocked, very shocked. I was kind of more angry, because a 43-year-old should know better than to do the stupid, immature stuff he was doing."

On Wednesday night, an Ellwood police officer recognized the black SUV, which several victims had described, on State Route 288 and radioed a nearby state trooper.

The trooper was told that somebody matching the suspect's description and in a black SUV was traveling toward him on Route 288. He saw the driver and pulled out onto the road. Moments later, he heard a loud bang and realized his car had been hit.

Ables told Channel 11 she'll likely never be reimbursed for the damage to her son's car.

"He's not going to pay. As long as I know he's arrested and kids are safe, that's what counts," she said.

McDonald is facing several charges for reckless endangerment and drug possession. He's scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.