A Northern California man faces attempted murder charges after authorities say he drove a pickup truck into a youth baseball fundraiser outside a Safeway store, injuring four people, including three children, after an earlier confrontation over the team’s sign.
The Nevada County District Attorney’s Office says the driver, Jonathan Maurer, is charged with eight counts of attempted murder and additional counts of assault with a deadly weapon, with sentencing allegations that include great bodily injury and a prior criminal history. Police say the incident appeared intentional and unfolded in minutes outside the store, turning a Saturday fundraiser into a crime scene in a small mountain town.
Investigators say the Tahoe Titans, a local team of 11- and 12-year-old players, were standing near a table outside the Safeway on Donner Pass Road on the afternoon of Feb. 7. The group was selling beef jerky as a fundraiser for a planned trip to a youth baseball tournament in Cooperstown, New York, near the Baseball Hall of Fame. Team manager Bree Waters said the kids and parents had been in good spirits and had already raised about $2,000 when a man approached looking angry and put out a cigarette on the team’s handmade sign. Waters said the man walked into the grocery store and came out a short time later, got into a white pickup truck, and drove toward the group.
Truckee police have said they were called just before 3 p.m. after a vehicle struck multiple pedestrians near the front entrance of the store. Authorities allege Maurer drove through the area where the table was set up, knocking it down and hitting people who were standing nearby. Waters said several children and adults were around the table at the moment of impact, including parents and at least one younger sibling of a player, and that two people were in the middle of making a donation when the truck came through. Police say four people were injured, including three children, and were taken to a hospital. Authorities and family members said the injuries were not life-threatening, and the victims were released later that day.
Nevada County District Attorney Jesse Wilson said prosecutors charged the case as an intentional attack. “The allegations that this act was intentional and directed at kids is hard to comprehend,” Wilson said in a statement announcing the charges. Prosecutors say Maurer is charged with eight counts of attempted murder, along with multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon. The office also alleges sentencing enhancements tied to the injuries, and it said Maurer had a prior criminal history. Police have said Maurer was under post-release community supervision, though officials have not publicly detailed the terms of that supervision.
Authorities have not said what triggered the confrontation beyond the encounter at the fundraiser sign, and they have not released a motive. They also have not said whether Maurer knew anyone in the group. Investigators have described the children as participants in a community fundraiser, not as part of an organized protest or political event, and there has been no public claim of a broader threat to schools or youth sports in the area tied to this case. Safeway issued a brief statement expressing sympathy for those hurt and said questions about the investigation should be directed to law enforcement.
For Truckee, the alleged attack landed in a tight winter tourism season, when the town’s main commercial corridors are crowded with shoppers, visitors and families moving between ski traffic and after-school activities. The fundraiser table was set up near the store entrance, a common spot for youth teams and local groups to raise money with signs and small displays. In the hours after the crash, parents and residents described confusion and fear as they tried to account for the kids who had been standing near the table. Some families said the most lasting damage could be emotional, even as the physical injuries healed quickly.
Within days, community members started collecting money for the team and the injured families. A fundraiser for the players and relatives climbed quickly, with supporters saying the goal was to help cover medical costs and provide counseling for children and parents who witnessed the collision. Friends of the team also said they still hoped to help the Tahoe Titans continue with their summer plans, even as the players returned to school and practice with a new sense of unease about a simple fundraiser outside a grocery store.
Maurer, 49, of Coalinga, was arrested at the scene, authorities said. He has been held at the Wayne Brown Correctional Facility while the case moves through Nevada County Superior Court. Prosecutors have said the attempted murder charges and assault counts will be litigated through the normal pretrial process, including hearings where the state is expected to outline its evidence. Defense arguments and any request for mental health evaluations have not been publicly detailed in court filings released so far, and officials have not said whether the case will involve questions about competency or treatment history.
As of Friday, investigators and prosecutors had not announced additional suspects or separate related cases. The next major step is expected to be court hearings that will set timelines for motions, evidence review and possible trial dates. Authorities have continued to describe the investigation as active, and they have said they will present witness statements and physical evidence, including the truck involved, as the case advances.
Author note: Last updated Feb. 13, 2026.