Projectile suspect’s family speaks out briefly to KION

PRUNEDALE, Calif. (KION) The sister of Charles Kenneth Lafferty, the man arrested in relation to the series of projectile attacks along Highway 101 and SR 156 over the last year, is speaking out to KION.

In a brief conversation over the phone, Los Banos native Kelly Howard tells KION she is shocked at her brother's alleged actions and has no excuses for him. However, she adds that she wants to speak with him directly in the next week to hear his side of the story, adding that Lafferty has been going through issues lately.

For drivers on Friday, it is the first weekend in about a year where people on the stretch of 101 and 156 near Prunedale say they are not worried about being attacked.

"Really happy they caught him. I'm not going to be worried anymore going up and down this road," said Adina Abeles, a Carmel Valley resident.

"Yeah, you feel good about driving now. Yeah, relaxed driving instead of like ughhh never know what's going to happen," said Achel Johnson, an Oak Hills resident.

CHP said in their investigation that Friday nights were a popular time for projectile attacks. This Friday night, everyone was excited to hear about an arrest in the case.

"It's very, very… it's a great relief to us that he's been captured," said Johnson.

They tell KION the terror they felt over the last year has been exhausting.

"Everyday, everyday I drove that rode… always wearing my sunglasses or my glasses," said Johnson.

"Every time we went under a bridge or something, we kind of look around and make sure it's OK," said Abeles.

The big question everyone is still asking is what Lafferty's motive is behind these attacks.