German man arrested in car attacks

BERLIN — A German man was arrested after repeatedly driving into crowds of people, injuring at least five, in what authorities on Tuesday said appeared to have been intentional attacks against foreigners.

Four people were injured in the western city of Bottrop and one person was injured in nearby Essen, while pedestrians managed to jump out of his path in two other attempted attacks in those cities, police said.

“The man had the clear intention to kill foreigners,” German news agency dpa quoted the top security official in North Rhine-Westphalia state, Herbert Reul, as saying.

The victims included a 46-year-old woman, who suffered life-threatening injuries, and a child. Some of the victims were Syrian and Afghan citizens.

The 50-year-old driver first attempted to hit a group of people in Bottrop but failed, authorities said. He then drove into the city center, where he slammed his silver Mercedes into a crowd, injuring four people, police said.

He then drove toward Essen, where he twice attempted to run people down, injuring one person, before being arrested by police, authorities said.

The man, whose name wasn’t released, is being held on suspicion of attempted homicide. Police said the suspect made anti-foreigner comments during his arrest and that there were indications he had been treated for mental illness in the past.