Dad abducts his toddlers, puts them in a pickup truck, then drives off the cliff into the ocean in an attempt to hurt their mom

A California man is facing a lengthy prison sentence after admitting to kidnapping his twin 2-year-old daughters and deliberately driving his pickup truck off a cliff following an argument with the girls’ mother.

51-year-old Robert Brians pleaded guilty to two counts each of attempted murder and kidnapping, along with one count each of child abuse, burglary and domestic violence. The plea was part of an agreement between Brians’ defense attorney and prosecutors, leading to the dismissal of several minor charges.

The incident began in the early morning hours of June 13, 2020, when San Diego Police Department officers started searching for Brians after his ex-wife called 911. She reported that Brians had taken their twin daughters without her consent from his parents’ home.

Following the abduction, Brians sent his ex-wife a series of alarming text messages, including one that read, “The girls are going to Heaven and I’m going to Hell to wait for you.”

During court proceedings, Brians’ ex-wife testified that he had sent additional messages that morning threatening to drive off a cliff with the children. At 5:09 a.m., Brians was captured on a traffic camera speeding up to 70 mph before veering off the Sunset Cliffs in the Point Loma area of San Diego.

Brians was out on bond for a separate felony charge at the time of the incident. Detective Aletha Lennier of the San Diego Police Department testified that just hours before the crash, Brians had posted on Facebook, “Tonight, I’m sending my babies to Heaven.”

Authorities were able to locate Brians through his cellphone, tracking him to the Sunset Cliffs area. Patrol officers spotted his vehicle moments before it plunged over the cliff.

Jonathan Wiese, a veteran canine officer who responded to the scene, used a 100-foot dog leash to rappel down the cliffside into the water. There, he found Brians and the two girls, with Brians shouting about his ex-wife as Wiese helped bring all three back to shore.

For his heroic actions, Officer Wiese was awarded the Carnegie Medal.

Despite the severity of the crash, which saw the truck flip over and land upside down in the water, Brians and the two toddlers survived with serious injuries.

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Brians’ plea deal includes an agreed-upon sentence of 31 years in a state prison. He is scheduled for sentencing on September 20.