Man arrested for alleged hate-motivated assault during road rage incident in Irvine

IRVINE, Calif. (KABC) -- An Irvine man accused of a hate-motivated assault during a road rage incident has been arrested, police said.

Robert Leon Tackett, 54, was taken into custody Thursday afternoon and is facing hate crime and aggravated assault charges.

The incident happened Tuesday around 9:30 a.m.

Police say the victim was heading southbound on Sand Canyon Avenue near the 5 Freeway when he saw Tackett yelling at a Hispanic truck driver.

"After the victim passed the initial altercation, Tackett began following the victim, driving aggressively and swerving into their lane multiple times, nearly causing a collision," said police in a statement. "Tackett shouted racial slurs at the victim before throwing a cup of hot coffee into the victim's vehicle."

The victim recorded most of the incident on his phone and a family member later posted it on social media.

The incident was formally reported to police late Wednesday night, according to police.

Anyone with information on this case is urged to contact the Irvine Police Department.