Man arrested after trying to run over Rancho Cordova parkgoers in suspected hate crime

A man accused of trying to run over parkgoers Sunday in Rancho Cordova has been arrested, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said.

Robert Avery, 33, of Orangevale was arrested Monday on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats and committing a hate crime.

Detectives began investigating after receiving a 911 call at 7:30 p.m. reporting a man “trying to run over people” at Heron Landing Park near the corner of Sunrise Boulevard and Justinian Drive, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Callers also reported the man was yelling racial slurs and targeting people who appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent, threatening them with violence. The Greater Sacramento Muslim Cemetery about 3 miles from the park.

Deputies and officers from the Rancho Cordova Police Department responded to the scene and found that no one had been injured.

Using witness accounts and video footage, detectives identified Avery as a suspect. Deputies and officers launched a search for him and the vehicle he was driving, telling the public he was considered armed and dangerous. Avery is also a registered sex offender, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies took Avery into custody before shortly 7:30 a.m., said Sgt. Amar Gandhi, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office.

More information was not immediately available.