SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A man who helps maintain the well-known Pride fence in Scripps Ranch narrowly escaped being hit by a car Saturday night in what police are calling a hate crime.
Stephen Gunter was checking on rainbow lights that had been vandalized around 11 p.m. when he noticed a Toyota Prius following him. Cell phone video captured the harrowing moments as the car drove over the curb and directly at Gunter, who jumped over his fence to avoid being struck.
"I don't know what they're doing," Gunter can be heard saying in the video as the car crashes into a succulent plant.
The video shows the car backing up before driving forward again. A large rock stopped the vehicle the second time, allowing Gunter to record the license plate as it drove away.
Gunter said he was on the phone with 911 when the car returned and drove on the curb, narrowly missing him again. The driver then got out of the vehicle.
"Unplugged lights, carried them to the middle of road," Gunter said, describing how the man made racially offensive gestures and remarks before driving off and running over the lights.
"I was shaking," Gunter said. “When the car started coming toward me, I knew he wanted to hit me.”
Police arrested 29-year-old Jonathan Parada less than an hour after the attack. He was booked on hate crime and assault charges.
The Pride fence has been targeted more than 20 times since it was first installed. I first reported on the fence in 2022 after it was spray-painted and hit with paint. Over the years, pride flags have been torn, and the fence has been hit with paint, eggs, feces, and more.
"Exhausting, to see the hate," said Brittany Fuller, Gunter's partner, during a previous interview about the ongoing vandalism.
This latest incident escalated to violence, leaving tire marks on the sidewalk where the car drove over the curb.
"It just breaks my heart that something that stands for love and acceptance would elicit that kind of violence. It's really scary," Gunter said.
Despite the ongoing attacks, Gunter and the Scripps Ranch Pride Council are planning to display several art installations on the fence in the next few months, including a Pride-themed artwork.
The rainbow lights now adorn the fence again after it was temporarily painted over due to a pending home sale that has since been rescinded.
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