SCRANTON, PA — A Beach Lake man is in jail after flagging down cars on an interstate highway and assaulting their passengers.

State police say 25-year-old Gregory Lee Nicholas Jr. flagged down two separate vehicles while standing in the middle of Interstate 81 in Scranton on February 8 at about 12:30 a.m. After the first car stopped, according to police, the suspect jumped into the back seat of the vehicle with a couple sitting in the front seat. Nicholas used a box knife and cut the male driver’s face and then warned him not to call anyone or he said, “I swear I’ll cut your throat.”

Before leaving the vehicle, Nicholas punched the female passenger. Once he was outside of the car, he moved to the southbound lane and flagged down another vehicle.

This time Nicholas tried to pull the driver out of the car, but he was not successful. Police officers arrived on the scene and arrested him. He faces various assault charges and was taken to Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bail.