Plea deal offered to accused I-35 rock thrower

When the plea deal was offered Monday morning, Pat Johnson and his attorney - didn't have an immediate response.

Prosecutors offered 40 years for each of the four indictments against him, they'd run concurrently.
The offer, if accepted, would allow victims like Kenneth Johnson to avoid having to attend what could be an emotionally taxing trial. His mother, Barbara Goodwin, spoke to FOX 7 by phone about that option.

"I don’t want Kenneth to have to go through it, myself I can but he doesn't need to go through that, I don’t think,” said Goodwin.

Over a two year period - there were about 100 rock throwing incidents in Austin - taking place on the lower deck of I-35. It got to the point warning signs were put up along the roadway. In June, APD detectives arrested Pat Johnson and accused him of being responsible for the majority of the cases. Among those hit, was Terrell Hill who spoke to FOX 7 about what he saw.

"When it hit it, I seen it bounce up … Thank God it wasn't another 4 to 6inches higher, if it was it would have skimmed over the hood and maybe into the windshield."

One rock did just that, it ended up in Lane Pelesack's backseat.

"Out of nowhere I heard this crazy smack against the windshield and all this class came shattering through this windshield so it's all over my body at that point I had some cuts on my arm started bleeding from the glass."

Kenneth Johnson was one of the most seriously injured by the rock throwing. The former Austin musician - suffered brain trauma and is still going through rehab.

"It’s very frustrating for him, and I just feel like there’s a lots of things … but it’s the speech thing that’s really, really, hard to get back, it’s very frustrating for him."

Late Monday- Goodwin told FOX7 that it appears Pat Johnson will turn down the plea deal. He is already serving a life sentence for a recent sex crime, and Goodwin believes with or without a rock throwing trail- the man who allegedly hurt her son- will get justice.

"I think that with the other case, he probably won’t see the light of day again, he won’t be in the free world again,” said Goodwin.

The next hearing for Pat Johnson is set for November 10th. A formal response to the plea deal offer is expected to be made at that time. 


A plea deal is being offered to the man accused of throwing rocks at cars on I-35. The offer came during a hearing Monday morning for Pat Johnson.

Pat Johnson has been indicted on four counts of assault for allegedly throwing rocks at cars on I-35. He was arrested back in June and accused of being responsible for the majority of the incidents.

Last month, Johnson was found guilty of indecency of a child by exposure and indecency of a child by contact. He was sentenced to life in prison.

Monday morning, during a pre-trial hearing, Assistant DA Leslie Booker offered Johnson a 40 year plea deal for the four rock throwing cases he has been indicted on.

Johnson's attorney, Michael Watson, told the judge the two will spend the next few days considering the offer.

A decision is expected to be formally announced at the next pre-trial hearing which is set to take place on November 10th.