A 50-year-old arts teacher at the Dreyfoos School of the Arts is facing felony charges after authorities say he intentionally rammed his car into several vehicles while searching for his wife following a domestic dispute.
Nathaniel Rayman was arrested by Palm Beach Sheriff’s deputies on April 5 after a series of collisions that left a pregnant woman hospitalized and multiple vehicles mangled.
The incident began around 3:20 p.m. at the intersection of Wildcat Way and Okeechobee Boulevard. According to a probable cause affidavit, Lentajia Lewis was sitting at a red light in her white Kia sedan when she witnessed a black Toyota ram into a nearby Toyota RAV4.
Lewis, who was nine months pregnant at the time, told investigators the black car paused briefly before accelerating “at full speed” directly into her vehicle. Her 6-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son were in the car during the impact.
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While Lewis was transported to a local hospital for evaluation, witnesses at the scene told deputies the driver of the black Toyota briefly stepped out of his car to look at the damage before speeding away. One witness managed to record the license plate number, which led deputies directly to Rayman’s home.
At the residence, deputies found a vehicle with damage matching the scene. They also found Rayman, who investigators noted had “red, glassy eyes.” After initially refusing to talk, Rayman allegedly told deputies he was distraught over his wife’s infidelity and was searching for her white Toyota when he “lost it.”
“He said he lost his mind and his life the previous night,” the arresting deputy noted in the report. Rayman later admitted to consuming six beers before getting behind the wheel. Investigators say that after the initial collisions, Rayman continued driving, striking a mailbox, a stop sign, and a cable box before finally stopping.
During his interview with authorities, Rayman repeatedly cited his wife’s alleged affair as the catalyst for his actions. When asked why he fled the scene of the crash involving the pregnant woman and her children, the affidavit states he told deputies he “f***ed up.”
Rayman is now charged with assault with a deadly weapon and leaving the scene of a crash involving injuries.
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