Antioch police arrest 2 suspects in hate crime case

Laura Anthony Image
ByLaura Anthony KGO logo
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Antioch police arrest 2 suspects in hate crime case
Antioch police held a news conference on Tuesday afternoon to report that they made two arrests in the hate crime case that occurred last week.

ANTIOCH, Calif. (KGO) -- Two people have been arrested on suspicion of a hate crime that occurred in Antioch last Wednesday, police said Tuesday, which was caught ont he victim's home security camera.

The two suspects, Roy Sovari, 27, of Antioch and Christine McDaniel, 25, of Brentwood were arrested Thursday after investigators interviewed them about the incident that occurred shortly after 3:10 a.m. Wednesday in the 5100 block of McCormick Court.

"Based on the evidence we gathered through this investigation, it's very clear this was a hate crime directed at this family," said Chief Alan Cantando withe the Antioch Police Department.

Investigators believe a dispute between a person at the victims' residence and a relative of McDaniel led to the two suspects allegedly setting the occupied home on fire using a Molotov cocktail and painting a racial slur and swastika on the house.

Police say the video shows Sorvari lighting three molotov cocktails and throwing them at the home of Roshon Williams.

"I'm just very happy that they have been found, that they will be prosecuted and that I can go on with my life," said Williams.

Three adults and four children escaped the fire. The fire did little damage to the home and no one was injured, according to police.

Williams doesn't know the suspects, but police told ABC7 News that a relative of McDaniel's had an ongoing dispute with a member of Williams family hat led to last week's attack.

The two were booked into jail on suspicion of several offenses including conspiracy, attempted murder, mayhem, torture, assault with a deadly weapon and arson, as well as hate crime enhancements.

The two are both being held on $1,290,000 bail, police said.

Sorvari's parents did not speak to on camera, but said: "In this country, people are innocent until proven guilty. There's probably a lot more to this story than what's been said."