Fell moment sex offender tries to run over Muslim families picnicking in a California park after threatening to ‘shoot and bomb’ them
- Robert Avery, 33, tried to run over the group with his silver car while shouting racial slurs at Heron Landing Park in Rancho Cordova
- The screaming parents were seen in footage filmed Sunday released by the Council on American-Islamic Relations
This is the vile moment when a sex offender tried to run over a group of Muslim families who were having a picnic in a California park.
Robert Avery, 33, attempted to run over the group with his silver car at 7:30 p.m. Sunday night at Heron Landing Park in Rancho Cordova while shouting racial slurs and threatening to “shoot and bomb” them.
He has now been charged with assault with a deadly weapon, making criminal threats and a hate crime after turning himself in following the sickening incident.
The screaming parents were seen in footage released by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) fleeing with their children as Avery drove over the curb and foliage during his horrific attack.
At one point, an adult had to quickly lift a child out of the way before Avery — who lives in Orangeville — raced out of the park in his 2012 Honda Insight along a walking path
Robert Avery, 33, attempted to run over the group with his silver car at 7:30 p.m. Sunday night at Heron Landing Park in Rancho Cordova while shouting racial slurs and threatening to “shoot and bomb” them.
At one point, an adult had to quickly lift a child out of the way before Avery — who lives in Orangeville — raced out of the park in his 2012 Honda Insight along a walking path.
Sergeant Amar Gandhi said police were able to arrest Avery quickly thanks to the quick-thinking witnesses who taped the footage and called 911.
He said, ‘They were very brave. Instead of just folding and giving up… They pulled out their phones.
“They were there taking pictures. They got video and helped us identify that vehicle very quickly, which led us back to that suspect.”
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said: “Callers also reported that the subject targeted and yelled racial slurs at park visitors of Middle Eastern descent, threatening to ‘shoot and bomb’ them.”
Sheriff’s Bias Based Crimes Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators responded to the crime scene a short time later and began their investigation
Pictured: The car he drove during the Sunday night ordeal
Families enjoyed a picnic as the ordeal began. Sergeant Amar Gandhi said police were able to arrest Avery quickly thanks to the quick-thinking witnesses who taped the footage and called 911
People were heard screaming and calling 911 as the car pulled into the park
Gandhi added: “From there he was yelling at children, yelling at women… yelling at everyone he could that he was going to shoot them, he was going to bomb them, and yelling all sorts of racial insults.
“We actually have our CSI unit, our crime scene investigation unit, which is out there.
“They are measuring the tire footprints. I mean, we treat this just like we would treat a crime scene. There is no stone unturned.’
CAIR said in a statement: “We thank local law enforcement agencies for their swift action in taking the suspect into custody and urge federal authorities to pursue hate crime charges for this apparently bias-motivated attack on members of the a minority community.”
Robert Avery was previously convicted of molesting or molesting a child under 18, according to sex offender records.