Prosecutors charge man with hate crime in Union City

UNION CITY – A 32-year-old man is facing felony hate crime and assault charges in connection with a violent rampage last week in Union City, prosecutors said.

A criminal complaint alleges Rohan Sharma stole a water truck on April 18 and used both it and a hand tool to assault an elderly person, according to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office. Sharma also allegedly “made hateful statements based on the perceived characteristics of the victim’s race or ethnicity” during the assault, prosecutors said.

In addition, Sharma is accused of ramming the truck into several buildings and parked cars, as well as trying to hit Union City police officers, according to the district attorney’s office.

Sharma is charged with multiple felonies, including assault with a deadly weapon, hate crime, elder abuse and resisting an officer by use of force or violence, prosecutors said. He was arraigned Tuesday.

The charges “reflect the seriousness of this incident,” according to District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson.

“Hate-based violence and violence against police officers will not be tolerated in Alameda County and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” she said in a statement.

Check back for updates.