OAKLAND — A 63-year-old Newark man was found guilty by a jury this week for a May 2023 road rage hate crime assault on Interstate 880 — some of which was captured on cell phone video — that targeted a Black woman and her three children, according to prosecutors and court records.
Tracy Robert Blackwell was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon and a hate crime enhancement, prosecutors said. He is being held at Santa Rita Jail without bail. He faces seven years in prison, prosecutors said, but his sentencing date was not available Friday.
According to prosecutors and the California Highway Patrol, a Black woman was driving with her three children on Hegenberger Road in East Oakland toward the southbound I-880 onramp about 4 p.m. on May 16, 2023. Blackwell, who was driving a Jeep Wrangler, cut across all traffic lanes and pulled in front of her, nearly hitting her vehicle.
The woman honked at Blackwell before both vehicles entered the freeway.
Prosecutors said Blackwell began yelling the N-word and other obscenities at the woman and her children as they were on the on-ramp and continued to do so while he drove parallel to them on the freeway. He also threw unknown items at their vehicle.
At one point the mother had her 14-year-old daughter film the encounter on her cell phone, which that prompted Blackwell to try and ram their vehicle, authorities said. No one was injured.
According to the CHP, Blackwell lost control of the Jeep and crashed on the shoulder, but he was able to continue driving. He followed the woman and her children to an East Oakland gas station where she had driven for help, court records say.
Blackwell continued yelling slurs and obscenities at her and appeared to be pulling a knife when gas station patrons approached, the records say. He then drove off.
The CHP was eventually able to identify Blackwell as the suspect and he was arrested May 19.
In the news release, Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price said: “Not only was this incident dangerous, it was traumatizing because of the racial abuse that was part of the crime. My office will not countenance any acts of racial hate in our community, especially when there are children involved.”
According to court records, Blackwell has six prior felony convictions going back to 1984. Among them is a 2002 conviction for lewd acts on a child under 14, for which he served a prison term and was required to register as a sex offender.
