Police said Joshua Robert Dalton, 28, jumped on the hood of Veneranda Alvarez's car and smashed the windshield.
RELATED: Man jumps on hood, smashes woman's windshield in California road rage incident
Alvarez, 34, her two daughters and a friend were in the car at the time.
"I was just in panic mode, and in shock and everything all at once," Alvarez said.
Alvarez said Dalton followed her friend out of a Walgreen's parking lot and tailgated them before he got out of his vehicle.
Dalton is charged with felony vandalism and is being held on $20,000 bail.
"He was careless and he did it with my kids in the car," Alvarez said.
One study found there has been a 600 percent increase in deadly road rage crimes since 2006. In a recent survey, eight million drivers admitted to road rage.
California Highway Patrol Officer Chris Baldonado offered safety tips for drivers targeted by road rage.
"First, call 911, let us handle the situation...Secondly be a good witness. If you have a passenger with a cell phone, if your phone's a camera, record it," Baldonado said.