Southern California man charged with hate crimes for separate attacks on Hispanic men

A man from Irvine has been charged with hate crimes in two separate attacks on Hispanic men that occurred on the same day.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office stated Wednesday that Robert Tackett was charged with felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm, violation of civil rights, assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury and inflicting injury on an elder adult. Tackett has also been identified by police as Leon Tackett.

The charges stem from two incidents that transpired on July 22, one around 9:30 a.m. and the other around 5:30 p.m., the first of which occurred on Sand Canyon Avenue in Irvine.

In that incident, Tackett, 54, was witnessed having what prosecutors called “a negative interaction” with a garbage truck driver. Another motorist began filming Tackett, who became enraged and began chasing the motorist.

Read more: KTLA