A 55-year-old Montana woman was busted for allegedly slamming her car into a demonstration by a New York-based black Hebrew group in the Treasure State over the weekend, injuring one marcher.
Genevienne Rancuret was charged with drunk driving and felony assault after cops in Billings said she repeatedly drove her car into a gathering by members of Israel United in Christ on the sidewalk shortly after 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.
“I just kind of saw this white Jeep fly by me and jump onto the sidewalk, straight at the group of people that were there,” Jamee Wagenmann, an eyewitness to the shocking vehicular attack, told KTVQ-News. “The first thing I thought was they lost control and they were in a wreck.”
But Wagenmann said the vehicle then veered “into the Albertsons parking lot and then drove straight at them from behind, like trying to catch them not paying attention.
“Screaming. Even cars were honking. It was chaos,” he said.
Local cops said they’re still trying to figure out what prompted the four-wheeled assault.
“Looks like whatever they were saying struck a nerve with her and she decided to act,” Lt. Matt Lennick, a spokesman for the Billings Police Department, told The Post Monday.
“Not seeing anything indicating this was long-term planned or anything. We didn’t even know they were coming,” he said. “She just happened to be in that area at the same time they were and this escalated.”
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Police said Rancuret drove from the scene but was pulled over by cops two hours later and charged.
The department said in a press release posted on Facebook that she was hit with a total of eight counts of felony assault with a weapon, referring to the vehicle, driving under the influence and criminal mischief.
The suspect was ordered held at the Yellowstone County Detention Facility following the incident.
Billings cops said the FBI is also reviewing the incident as a possible bias crime.
Police identified the religious group as the black Hewbrew group, which is listed online with headquarters in Mount Vernon, New York. The group did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Black Hebrews believe that they are the rightful direct descendants of the ancient Israelites.
The Anti-Defamation League lists Israel United Under Christ as an extremist group in the movement that was founded in 2003 as a splinter group of the Israeli School of Universal Practical Knowledge.
It is unclear why the demonstrators were in Montana.
