Man Who Drove Into Pedestrians in California Was Targeting Muslims, Police Say

A man who plowed his Toyota Corolla into a group of pedestrians at a crowded intersection in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Tuesday apparently did so in part because he thought at least some were Muslim, the police said Friday.

The man, Isaiah J. Peoples, 34, faces eight counts of attempted murder in the episode, in which eight people were injured. Three of the victims were minors, and one, a 13-year-old girl, remained in critical condition on Friday evening.

Chief Phan Ngo, of the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, said at a news conference on Friday afternoon that further evidence obtained by the police suggested that Mr. Peoples “intentionally targeted the victims based on their race and his belief that they were of the Muslim faith.”

The chief would not elaborate on how the police obtained the information pointing to a possible motive, saying that the investigation was continuing.

“The only thing that we can confirm at this time,” Mr. Ngo added, “is that, on the day of the incident, he had picked up some food and that he was on his way to deliver the food to his Bible study group.”

Jay Boyarsky, chief assistant district attorney of Santa Clara County, said at the news conference that “there is no hate crime allegation at this point in time, for one reason only: the matter is still being investigated.” Some of the charges Mr. Peoples already faces carry a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Mr. Boyarsky added that there was “very appalling and disturbing evidence” that at least one or two of the victims were targeted “based on the defendant’s view of what their race or religion may have been.”

In an interview on Friday night, Capt. Jim Choi of the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety said there was no indication that the crime was motivated by terrorism. But he added that the department was “still waiting to know more based on the search warrant on his computer and cellphone.”

Mr. Peoples, a Sunnyvale resident, appeared in court on Friday and is being held without bail at the Santa Clara County Jail. He will enter a plea on May 16, his lawyer, Chuck Smith, said.