Police said Friday that a California man accused of intentionally driving his car into a group of pedestrians believed he was targeting Muslims.

Sunnyvale Police Chief Phan Ngo told reporters that evidence suggests Isaiah Joel Peoples, 34, drove his car into the crowded crosswalk intending to hit Muslims.

The Wednesday attack in attack in Sunnyvale, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area, left eight people injured.

Peoples, who is charged with eight accounts of attempted murder, appeared in court Friday and his attorney says he will fight the charges.

"Absolutely we are disputing that this was an intentional act and this is a case of mental disorder," said his attorney, Chuck Smith.

Smith said Peoples is praying for the people injured in the car attack.

Multiple witnesses on the scene said they heard Peoples saying “thank you, God” after his car hit the crowd of people.