Aggravated assault charges filed in case of motorcyclist seen smashing in back of woman’s car

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This article was published 04/10/2023 (1096 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A man accused of being the motorcyclist seen smashing in the back of a woman’s car while her two young children were inside near Philadelphia’s City Hall and then waving a gun at her after she confronted him has been charged with multiple counts of aggravated assault.

Prosecutors said 26-year-old Cody Heron is also charged with reckless endangerment and possession of an instrument of crime in connection with the incident. Officials said they were seeking high bail in the case.

There was no attorney listed for Heron yet, and the district attorney’s office said it didn’t know whether he had one. A telephone listing for him could not be found Wednesday.

A viral video from Sunday night showed a group of ATV, motorcycle and dirt bike riders surrounding 23-year-old Nikki Bullock’s sedan. A motorcyclist wearing a helmet is seen leaving his bike to jump on the back of the sedan, shattering the window. What appears to be a handgun drops from his waistband and he then appears to wave it at her as she emerges from the car, then headbutts and pushes her as she confronts him.

Interim police commissioner John Stanford called it “despicable behavior.” Officials said the suspect was tracked down with the aid of tips from the public, and the bike, clothing and a 9-millimeter handgun were seized as evidence from a home in the Frankford section of the city.

Bullock told reporters she was making deliveries for UberEats as her 5-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son rode along. She told WPVI-TV that she was first sideswiped near City Hall and argued with one of the bikers.

Bullock said she was grateful that her children weren’t hurt.

“They are OK. Not a single scratch,” Bullock said. “I have a guardian angel. Thank God.”

Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said earlier in a social media post that the arrest overnight came after “great tips from the public and some outstanding detective work.”

Councilman Mark Squilla, who represents the district where the incident occurred, said people in large groups on bikes, ATVs and other often illegal vehicles can develop a kind of “mob mentality where they believe they can do whatever they want.”

“This arrest will send a message that this will not be tolerated,” he said.

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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Mark Squilla’s last name.