RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. — A man is in custody after threatening a group of Muslim families with South Asian heritage at a Rancho Cordova park.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office identified 33-year-old Robert Avery, from Orangevale, as the suspect. They said he drove through Heron Landing Park trying to run people over while families were holding a celebration.
The sheriff's office said the incident appears to be racially motivated because the suspect was yelling racial slurs at the group.
"He was yelling racial slurs at them, threatening to shoot them, threatening to bomb them, obviously very concerning. Our deputies responded in minutes and by then, he had already driven off,” said Sgt. Amar Gandhi, spokesperson for the sheriff's office.
The sheriff’s office said no one was hurt.
The terrifying moments were caught on video released by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). The video shows a man driving his car through the park as people around the area are heard screaming. The incident happened around 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
Around 12 hours later, the sheriff's office said Avery turned himself in with help from his family. He was taken into custody without incident.
"It's scary. You don't really see this level of aggravated attack on people. Hate crimes have been on the rise, but it's really scary when it really happens," said Omar Altamimi, with CAIR Sacramento Valley/Central California. "Everyone there was South Asian, so Pakistani, Indian, Afghan -- easily identifiable and easy to target."
CAIR Sacramento Valley/Central California is calling for federal authorities to bring hate crime charges against Avery.
"We need deterrence. We need to be able to hold people accountable,” Altamimi said.
Before the incident, the sheriff's office said Avery caused a disturbance at a nearby liquor store.
Avery is also listed as a sex offender on the national registry.
Parkgoers said were shocked to hear of the incident. The park is a popular spot for families trying to beat the heat Monday morning. Some people shared concern about what happens next.
"What we have now in California, there's no consequences for bad behavior. It's really hard to raise families in that situation," said Betty Koons, a grandmother from Sacramento.
She said she wants the legislature to make sure people involved in serious crimes don’t get back out.
With Avery in custody, the Sheriff's Office said he is no longer a threat to the public.
"Beyond this, it's just the wheels of justice, so we're obviously going to be pushing for a hard sentence on this fellow, making sure that he continues to not threaten public safety," Sgt. Gandhi said.
Avery faces charges related to hate crimes as well as assault with a deadly weapon and criminal threats and hate crime. He is being held at the Sacramento County Main Jail.
The investigation is ongoing.
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