PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Cody Heron, a 26-year-old Philadelphia man was arrested on Wednesday, October 5 after a viral video showed him vandalizing a woman’s car, pointing a gun and head-butting her during an altercation over the weekend.
Philadelphia police arrested Cody overnight in the 4500 block of E. Stiles Street in the Frankford section of Philadelphia, according to 6abc.
After closely investigating his house, officers reportedly found the bike, helmet, and the 9 mm gun allegedly used in the incident on Sunday, October 1.
He has now been charged with possession of an instrument of crime, recklessly endangering another person and is also facing multiple counts of aggravated assault.
At Heron's hearing on Wednesday night, the Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner reportedly asked for a $5 million bond amount, but the judge instead fixed it at 10% of $2,500,000.
Heron is accused of assaulting Nikki Bullock and her two children after her car was hit on the driver's side near City Hall, prosecutors said.
“Cody Heron, who was recklessly riding his motorcycle through the heavily populated streets of Center City Philadelphia while carrying a firearm, senselessly assaulted an innocent woman and her children who were simply going about their evening,” Assistant District Attorney William Fritze said in a statement, per New York Post.
Why did Cody Heron attack Nikki Bullock?
Heron allegedly attacked Bullock at around 9.40 pm on Sunday, when he was with a group of ATV and dirt bike riders in the area of City Hall.
A video of the incident captured shows riders converging at a red light, as the man thought to be Heron was seen pulling aside Bullock's red sedan, according to Daily Mail.
During the stop, the two got into an argument about changing lanes. The 23-year-old mother told NBC10 that Heron charged over her after she tried to change lanes around the horde of bikers.
"They’re not paying attention to lanes," she said, adding "They’re just doing whatever. So I’m turning in the lane and he just hits the side of the car."
After exchanging insults, the motorcyclist started physically attacking her car. He climbed up on the trunk and then proceeded to jump on the car many times and smash the back window.
Burke, who has been hailed as fearless for how she handled the interaction, then got out of the car and confronted the man about his egregious deed.
"He jumped up here with two feet. He stepped his first foot down. Didn't work, so, then he was like... and, went through," she recalled of the now-viral clip.
As the situation escalated, Heron dropped a handgun that had been held at his waist, picked it up, and proceeded to point it at Burke. At one point, the suspect even headbutted the mother with a helmet on,g before fleeing the scene.
She explained to FOX29 Philadelphia that the incident occurred while she and her children were out delivering meals for Uber Eats.
"I'm just grateful that my kids are okay. There's not a scratch on them. It was just the simple fact that I had kids in the car. I just wanted to protect them, honestly," she said.
How did the police arrest Cody Heron?
Tracking down Heron was not an easy task for authorities as he was going by different names online, which initially misled officers.
Asking for public assistance, investigators later released stills from the then-circulating footage, which featured the suspect's distinctive tattoos and helmet.
The release led outraged sleuths across the country who worked relentlessly to name and shame the then-at-large crook.
Police and the district attorney's office say they hope this arrest sends a message to other illegal riders in Philadelphia.
"We're going to continue to crack down on this type of behavior. It's the quality of life issues that have an impact on so many people in this city," said Interim Police Commissioner John Stanford.
