A Newhall man is in custody for a hate crime today after throwing a metal bolt at a Special Olympian participating in a relay Wednesday.
Deputies from the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s station were running with the Special Olympics children in the annual Torch Run at approximately 3:30 p.m. As they neared the intersection of McBean Parkway and Arroyo Park in Valencia, David Robert Schwartz yelled for the runners to get out of the road, using a derogatory term referencing sexual orientation.
Schwartz then threw a metal bolt at the runners, narrowly missing two of the children. Deputies witnessing the assault used their radios to notify deputies in radio cars of what happened and they soon captured the suspect.
Schwartz, 41, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and a hate crime because of the language used. He is being held at Santa Clarita station in lieu of $50,000 bail and is due in court on Friday.