Leevell Peoples glances at a photo of her son, Isaiah Peoples, taken while he was in the Army, at her home in Sacramento, Calif. (AP)A California man who drove over a crowd deliberately did it because he thought they were Muslims, AFP quoted police as saying Friday. The 34-year-old driver, identified as Isaiah Peoples, injured eight people.
The Sunnyvale police said that Peoples targetted the family near San Francisco reportedly because of their appearance. The incident is being investigated and treated as a “hate crime”.
“There is new evidence that Peoples intentionally targeted victims based on their race and belief that they were Muslim,” a statement issued by Sunnyvale Police said.
The local media reported that three members of the same family, a father, his son and daughter, among the other eight pedestrians, were injured in the alleged “hate crime” on Tuesday.
The police, however, have not released the nationality and religion of the family.
Peoples defence lawyer, however, said that the incident “was clearly a result of mental disorder,” adding that he will seek psychiatric treatment for his client.
The lawyer said that his client, Peoples, was a military veteran who was possibly suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Peoples mother, Leevell Peoples, also said that her son was suffering from a post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in Iraq as a military veteran.
(With inputs from agencies)
