Motorist arrested after throwing pennies at car

ASHLAND, Mass. -- A man in Ashland is accused of throwing pennies at a moving car, hitting the parents and nearly missing a small child inside.

The incident allegedly occurred outside the Ashland Police Department.

“We were just sitting there at the light and all of a sudden we hear a light honk and then all of a sudden just metal raining down on us,” said Karissa Eberlin, the victim.

Ashland Police said 42-year-old Paul Castelli of Framingham cut off a young couple at an intersection. They said it started when Castelli ran a stop sign at Pleasant and Cherry Streets.

“I was literally coming right up to the intersection when he cut me off and I just honked the horn at him and it ticked him off,” said Geoff Fritz, the other victim.

Fritz said he drove a short distance to an intersection in front of the Ashland Police Station when Castelli honked his horn and assaulted them.

Castelli faces two felonies, malicious destruction of property and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

“If he was going to throw something, I figured it was going to be like a brick or something, but pennies? Honestly, no, you can’t be throwing pennies around,” said Fritz.

The couple’s 6-month-old Tommy was in the back seat of the car and they said that was what scared them the most.

“I got hit in the head and my glasses got knocked off my face but I didn’t even care about myself, I just turned around and checked him. God forbid anything got in his face or even his mouth,” said Eberlin.

No one was hurt during the incident but Fritz said the pennies did cause small damage to his vehicle.

He said Castelli drove away at about 80 miles an hour, passing cars and speeding through a school zone, Fritz followed him to write down Castelli’s license plate number.

Police arrested Castelli at his home.

“I honestly think this is more than road rage, this is somebody that doesn’t know how to live,” said Fritz.

Castelli is due back in court in March.

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