SAN MATEO >> Police arrested a man on Sunday on suspicion of pepper-spraying a stranger and threatening him with a knife, according to a department press release.

The suspect, a 34-year-old San Jose resident, was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats, brandishing a weapon, and committing vandalism and battery. He is being held in Maguire Correctional Facility; his next court date is scheduled for Jan. 17.

San Mateo police received a call at 3:56 p.m. Thursday from a man who said he was pepper-sprayed and threatened with a knife on the 100 block of South Ellsworth Avenue.

The man told officers that he was sitting in his car when a Tesla pulled up beside him. The victim said the driver of the Tesla, whom he did not know, made “shooting” gestures with his hands toward him. The man then parked his car in front of the victim’s car, got out, walked toward the victim while displaying a folding knife and threatened to stab him.

The assailant then walked to the passenger side of the victim’s vehicle and kicked in the rear panel, causing some $2,000 in damage. The suspect pepper-sprayed the victim through the open front passenger-side window as the victim tried to call the police and drive away. Police said the motive for the crime is unknown because the victim reported he did not know the attacker.

The victim took a video of part of the incident and a witness came forward with a photo and license plate of both the suspect and the suspect vehicle. Police found the identity of the suspect and discovered that the suspect’s vehicle was a rental that was scheduled to be returned on Friday. Officers planned to arrest the suspect when he returned the car, but the car was not returned.

Around midnight on Sunday, automatic license plate readers in San Mateo identified the Tesla and a police sergeant located the car traveling northbound on U.S. Highway 101. Police pulled over the driver around San Bruno Avenue in San Bruno. When police searched the suspect, they found two bottles of pepper spray and a folding knife. The suspect was arrested after his identity was confirmed.