California Firebombing Leads to Hate Crime Charges
Attempted murder charges with hate-crime penalty enhancements were filed this week against a young couple accused of firebombing an African-American family’s home in the middle of the night in Antioch, Calif., east of San Francisco.
The two suspects are accused of hurling three fiery Molotov cocktails at the home at 3 a.m. on Sept. 7 after spraying painting its exterior with racial slurs and a swastika, authorities say.
The ensuing fire spread to the roof of the residence and nearby bushes, blocking entrances. But four children and three adults sleeping in the home safely escaped without injuries, according to various media reports.
The suspects were identified as Roy Charles Sorvari, 27, of Antioch, and Christyne Gail McDaniel, 25, of Brentwood, Calif.
They each were charged with conspiracy, attempted murder, mayhem, torture, assault with a deadly weapon and arson, along with hate crime penalty enhancements that would bring tougher sentences with convictions, the Los Angeles Times reported. They are each being held under $1.3 million bond.
Video security cameras at the home recorded the firebombing, leading police to identify and ultimately arrest the suspects, according to reports by KPIX-TV and other media outlets.
Antioch Police Chief Allan Cantando said investigators believe a dispute between a person living at the targeted residence and one of the suspects was the motivation behind the attack, the Times reported.
Homeowner Roshon Williams told KTVU-TV that she didn’t know either of the suspects. “I'm just very happy that they have been found, that they will be prosecuted and that I can go on with my life,” Williams told reporters.
It’s unclear at this point if either suspect has ties with any neo-Nazi or white supremacist groups.
