A violent early-morning incident in downtown Redlands has shaken the community and prompted a swift, coordinated response from local and federal law enforcement.
With assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department Gang, Narcotics Division, and the FBI Fugitive Task Force, the Redlands Police Department arrested a Los Angeles woman on Wednesday, Feb. 25, in connection with an attempted homicide involving a vehicle that left four people seriously injured outside a downtown Redlands bar.
Police located 20-year-old, Solaya Marie Nickleberry, in the City of Compton, and took her into custody without incident.
The case stems from a chaotic scene that unfolded shortly before 1:30 a.m., on Sunday, Feb. 22, outside a bar near 19 E. Citrus Ave. According to witnesses, an altercation broke out among several individuals in front of the establishment. Following the confrontation, one of those involved—later identified as Nickleberry—entered a 2022 Tesla and drove westbound on Citrus Avenue.
Moments later, police say, the vehicle turned around.
Nickleberry allegedly accelerated back eastbound and drove directly into four people standing in the street outside the bar. The impact was severe, causing the vehicle to lose control and strike the curb. As panic spread, an unknown suspect fired several gunshots, striking the window of one nearby business and the door of another. No shooting victims were reported.
All four individuals struck by the Tesla were transported to the hospital with major injuries. As of the latest update, one victim remains hospitalized.
The Tesla fled the scene westbound, leaving behind a visible trail of leaking fluids. Officers later recovered the abandoned vehicle the same night after a witness discovered it in a San Bernardino neighborhood.
Nickleberry is currently being held at the West Valley Detention Center, in Rancho Cucamonga, on charges of attempted gross vehicular manslaughter, in lieu of $800,000 bail.
For Redlands residents, the arrest brings a measure of relief after a night of violence that unfolded in the heart of the city. Authorities credit the rapid collaboration between local and federal agencies for bringing the suspect into custody—and reaffirm that accountability, even after chaos, remains the goal.
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Anyone with information regarding crime or suspicious activity is asked to contact Redlands Police Dispatch at (909) 798-7681 ext. 1. Certain non-emergency crimes may also be reported online using the Redlands Police Department’s CopLogic reporting system at www.cityofredlands.org/report-crime. Suspicious activity and tips can be reported using the City of Redlands 311 mobile app available for Android, iPhones, and iPads.
Redlands Police press releases and other information are available on the Redlands Police Department Facebook page.