News > CEO Charged With Choking Woman Garners Board Support, Not Rebuke

CEO Charged With Choking Woman Garners Board Support, Not Rebuke

In the early hours of Oct. 5, a 46-year-old man shoved and began strangling a woman in her early twenties, knocking a phone out of her hand when she tried to call for help.

David Smith, is the son of a billionaire, scion of Sonic Automotive Inc., a public company that owns one of the largest car-dealership chains in the U.S. Barely 24 hours after his release, Sonic’s board said it believed he was innocent and pledged its “steadfast” support.