A white couple, now identified as Gregory Howell and Rachel Howell, have been reportedly been arrested Friday (July 31) for attacking a vehicle with a shovel while yelling “only white lives matter” and “white power” at a couple inside of the car, NBC4 reports.
The apparent road rage incident took place in Torrance, California on July 22 around 10:30 p.m. It was captured on video by one of the victims inside of the vehicle. The scene was shared on Twitter by the woman victim’s relative and quickly made its rounds on social media, sparking outrage.
According to Torrance Police Department Sergeant Alexander Martinez, the Howell’s, both 29, hopped out of their white pickup truck at a stoplight near Artesia Boulevard and Prairie Avenue.
In the video, Mrs. Howell can be seen with her middle finger up shouting “White lives matter” and “only white lives matter,” while her husband is seen giving a Nazi salute and shouting out “white power.”
The woman recording from inside of the vehicle can be heard saying, “This is crazy, the stuff we got to go through.”
The male suspect then returned to his pickup truck, grabbed a shovel from the back of the vehicle, and then went back to the victim’s car, striking it several times and damaging the driver’s side mirror. The victim was able to speed off before further damage occurred.
Authorities have yet to confirm the race of the two victims targeted in the attack, Sgt. Martinez said. However, the woman’s relative on Twitter confirmed that the male victim from the video is Black. The video also seems to verify his race as Black as well.
One of the victims filed a police report the next morning around 10 a.m. On July 24, police obtained arrest warrants for hate crimes and vandalism. The couple was arrested on Friday.