Army vet accused of ramming California pedestrians charged with hate crimes

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The Army veteran accused of plowing his car into a crowd of pedestrians in California last month believed at least two members of the group were of Muslim descent, prosecutors said in court this week.

Isaiah Peoples, 34, faces two hate crime charges and eight counts of attempted murder after police say he deliberately slammed into the Sunnyvale crosswalk on April 24, injuring eight people.

Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen told reporters Thursday he was confident the perceived religion of two of the victims was a “substantial motivating factor” in the violent attack.

SUSPECT ACCUSED OF PLOWING CAR INTO CROWD, INJURING 8, WAS ARMY VET WHO SERVED IN IRAQ

Peoples, who did not enter a plea, was said to have suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after returning from Iraq in May 2006. He had no criminal history but was honorably discharged from the army.

This April 23, 2019, file image from video provided by KGO-TV, shows the scene of a car crash where several pedestrians were struck and injured in Sunnyvale, Calif. (KGO-TV via AP, File)

Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Emmanuel Ortiz confirmed Peoples’ service in the Middle East from June 2005 to May 2006 but did not elaborate on his discharge.

Peoples' mother, Leevell Peoples, said her son was discharged due to his PTSD, citing a “bad episode” in 2015 that reportedly required hospitalization.

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Police are investigating if PTSD may have played a role in the April attack.

If convicted on the charges, each hate crime carries up to six additional years in prison.

Among the people injured at the crosswalk was a 13-year-old girl of Indian descent who remains in a coma after suffering brain trauma.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.