Alleged rock-in-a-sock attack may lead to prison

BY EMILY MIBACH
Daily Post Staff Writer

A Redwood City man is facing his third strike and possibly 25 years to life in prison after he randomly attacked a man with a rock in a sock in Redwood City, a prosecutor said.

This is the third time Thomas Joseph Waddell, 56, has randomly attacked someone, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said on Wednesday (July 25).

The most recent incident occurred on July 8 near Waddell’s home on Renato Court, about three blocks from the El Camino Real Taco Bell.

Waddell walked up to a man who was working on his parked car, pulled out a sock, which contained a fist-sized rock, and hit the man in the head, said Redwood City Police Lt. John Gunderson. The man and his nephew then began to fight Waddell, at which point police were called, according to Gunderson.

Waddell was found by police and arrested. The man he attacked sustained a three-inch cut behind his ear that required sutures, Wagstaffe said.

Threw Drano in man’s eyes

Waddell recently got out of prison for a 2009 assault in Burlingame, according to the DA. In that incident, Waddell attacked a Safeway store manager who told him to pay for the 7 Up he took out of a case in the store and drank, Wagstaffe said.

After the manager told him to pay for the soda, Waddell threw Drano in the man’s eyes and stabbed him six times with a fork.

Waddell was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the case, but because of state propositions that reduced sentences, he was released early, according to Wagstaffe.

‘Serious and dangerous guy’

The other case Waddell was prosecuted for was a 2004 attack in which he threw gas on a stranger.

“This is a serious and dangerous guy,” Wagstaffe said. “Talk about a danger to the community, holy mackerel.”

Waddell has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon resulting in great bodily injury and is in jail in lieu of $300,000 bail. He will be in court again on Sept. 26.