Terrorism charge filed against man who crashed car into Woodfield Mall near Chicago
The man who slammed his SUV into a suburban Chicago mall has been formally charged with terrorism and criminal damage to property, authorities announced Sunday.
Javier Garcia, 22, was denied bond at a hearing in Chicago. Police in Schaumburg, 30 miles west of the city, say they still don't know why Garcia crashed his black Chevy Trailblazer through the entrance of the Woodfield Mall on Sept. 20.
The investigation revealed that Garcia was acting alone, police said in a statement. Garcia was transferred from a mental health facility back to police custody Friday.
“Police have no reason to believe Garcia was targeting any specific person or store within Sears or Woodfield Mall,” the statement said.
Video posted on social media showed the SUV driving around inside Woodfield Mall, slamming into kiosks as shoppers dashed for safety. A person in the video can be heard saying in disbelief, "Yo this is not happening right now." Others in the background yell "Stop! Stop driving!" The car tires screech as the car navigates the mall.
No serious injuries were reported.
Witness Lateef Farooqui told CBS Chicago he was in the mall when he saw the vehicle rolling through "like you would a shopping cart."
Schaumburg Police Chief Bill Wolf said after Garcia's arrest at the scene that there appeared to be no connection to any terrorist group or cell. Police said the alleged attack met the elements of felony terrorism because the damage took place in a building with five or more businesses and totaled more than $100,000.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Terrorism charge for man who slammed SUV into Woodfield Mall
