California police say they have identified and arrested two suspects in a hit-and-run investigation, after a driver barreled through No Kings protesters on Saturday.
Video of the incident went viral online, with many commentators saying the driver was justified in hitting the gas because the vehicle was surrounded by threatening protesters, one of whom had damaged the vehicle.
Her injuries included a punctured lung, numerous severe skull injuries, a broken leg, and a cracked rib.
Police identified the driver as 58-year-old Russell Prentice of Riverside and also identified another suspect who allegedly tried to destroy evidence in the case. Prentice was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and hit-and-run causing injury.
The video went viral online with millions of views.
Candase Wenzel, 39, was also arrested and charged with accessory after the fact and destruction of evidence. The Riverside Police Dept. said that Wenzel drove Prentice’s vehicle out to Phelan, a remote desert town, in order to intentionally destroy and conceal evidence in the alleged crime.
Police said they reviewed numerous videos of the incident at the intersection of University Avenue and Orange Street at about 9 p.m.
A KABC-TV report said the protest in Riverside included about 5,000 people, and only minor vandalism was reported, apart from the hit-and-run.
Friends of the victim identified her as 21-year-old Alexa Carrasco and said doctors had placed her in a medically induced coma and that she had undergone numerous surgeries. They said her injuries included a punctured lung, numerous severe skull injuries, a broken leg, and a cracked rib.
A KCAL-TV report said that police indicated they were not yet ready to discuss what motivated the driver’s actions.
A GoFundMe donation account has raised tens of thousands of dollars for Carrasco.
A similar incident was reported at the Los Angeles No Kings protest and was caught on video. In the video, a female protester can be seen trying to block a red sedan attempting to drive through the protest before the driver hits the gas and she tumbles underneath the tires. Police are trying to identify the driver in that incident as well.
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