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<div>On Tuesday morning, December 12th, between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m., my wife and I were deliberately attacked with a vehicle.
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<div>While driving westbound on Highway 62, we encountered a silver Toyota Sienna being driven erratically, swerving side to side across lanes. When I attempted to safely pass the vehicle, the driver accelerated and attempted to ram us from behind. I sped up to avoid a collision. When that attempt failed, he pulled into the median and attempted to force our vehicle sideways into a box truck traveling in the slow lane.
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<div>We braked hard to avoid being crushed and pulled into the median to escape and call the police. Instead of leaving, the driver followed us, pulled in front of our vehicle, and brake-checked us, forcing a collision.
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<div>He exited his vehicle in a rage, confronted me aggressively, claimed he had children in the car, and put his hands on me. I pushed him away and told him to get back into his vehicle.
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<div>As he returned to his car, he screamed racial slurs directed at Mexicans. I am Native American. He then threatened to shoot me as he got back into his vehicle. Once inside, he attempted to strike me with his car four separate times. I was able to evade him.
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<div>When he failed to hit me, he redirected his vehicle toward my wife—driving straight at her from the middle of the highway and stopping at the last possible moment. The intent to threaten and intimidate us was unmistakable.
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<div>Even after law enforcement arrived, he continued yelling racial slurs directed at both Mexicans and Native Americans in front of deputies and witnesses.
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<div>The assailant has been identified as George Podaras. 
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<div>Despite multiple witnesses and the severity of the incident, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department (Morongo Basin) declined to take action. Instead, I was threatened with jail if I attempted to pursue the matter further. I was told that I “assaulted him with my vehicle” due to the forced rear-end collision, and that because of my size and stature—and because no weapon was found in his car—his threat to shoot me was considered acceptable.
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<div>We are now dealing with the emotional, physical, and financial aftermath of an attempted vehicular assault fueled by racial hatred, carried out in broad daylight, with no accountability.
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<div>Despite the seriousness of what occurred, we’re now left dealing with the emotional, physical, and financial fallout on our own. The police are refusing to help.
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<div>I don’t ask for help lightly. If you’re reading this and you’ve ever supported me, known me, or respected me in any way, I’m asking you now:
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<div>If you can’t do anything else, please consider donating $10.
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<div>That’s it. Ten dollars.
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<div>If even a fraction of the people seeing this do that, it helps us cover legal costs and start recovering from something that never should have happened. If you can’t donate, sharing the link helps just as much.
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<div>Thank you for reading. Thank you for helping us move forward.
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