A father who tried to kill his twin daughters by throwing them off a cliff was seen crying in court after being sentenced to 31 years in state prison.
Robert Brians, 51, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder, kidnapping, child abuse, robbery and domestic violence.
On June 12, 2020, police located Brians in Sunset Cliffs, where they witnessed his pickup truck accelerate rapidly before plunging off a 30-foot cliff.
San Diego Police Officer Jonathan Wiese bravely rappelled down the cliff to rescue the victims. All three survived with injuries.
Jenna Brians, the twins’ mother, said she had been waiting for this day for four years, KNSD reported.
Robert Brians, 51, has been sentenced to 31 years in state prison for attempting to kill his twin daughters.
On June 13, 2020, police located Brians in Sunset Cliffs, where they witnessed his pickup truck accelerate rapidly before plunging off a 30-foot cliff.
“It’s nice to finally be able to close this episode today, not just for me, but especially for my daughters, to know that their father is taking responsibility for the horrible acts he committed that day and the decisions he made.”
Brians kidnapped twins Hailey and Aubrey from their parents’ home during a planned visit and took off with them on June 12, 2020.
Jenna called police around 4:30 a.m. on June 13 after receiving a series of texts and calls from Brians “clearly stating that she might not see her children again.”
“The girls go to heaven and I go to hell to wait for them,” said one.
Earlier, Brians made a post on Facebook saying, ‘Tonight, I’m sending my babies to heaven.’
His wife, Jenna Brians, called police around 4:30 a.m. on June 13 after receiving a series of text messages and calls from Brians “clearly stating that he might not see his children again.”
Jenna told the judge that the twin girls, Aubrey and Hailey, were healthy and thriving.
Jenna thought her ex-husband was going to jump off the Coronado Bridge, but police spotted him driving near Sunset Cliffs around 5 a.m.
Brians’ truck veered off the road and plunged over the cliff. Miraculously, Hailey and Aubrey, who were sitting on his lap, survived the crash.
K9 Officer Jonathan Wiese used a 100-foot leash as a makeshift rope to climb down the cliff, while five other officers held the other end. He then dove into the ocean to rescue the victims and found Brian holding the girls in his arms.
Aubrey clung to his neck, crying, while Hailey looked lifeless.
Brians spoke angrily about his ex-wife and said he was going to die with the girls. Other officers lowered a backpack to load the girls into an ambulance, while Wiese carried Brian to shore.
Both girls suffered minor injuries, but Hailey suffered a brain bleed and compression fractures to her vertebrae and required respiratory assistance.
Brians and his daughters were saved by hero police officer Jonathan Wiese, who rappelled down the cliff and swam to the sinking car to pull them out of the water.
They were admitted to intensive care, but within weeks they were happily playing on the beach and putting the ordeal behind them.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help support the twins’ future and has raised $18,260 of its $25,000 goal.
Prosecutor Francesca Balerio condemned Brians’ actions, calling them “the epitome of evil” as he tried to harm his own children to get revenge on his ex-wife.
Brians’ public defender, Manuel Avitia, argued that he had already won the case because he and the girls survived.
However, the judge imposed a no-contact order, prohibiting Brians from communicating with his ex-wife or the girls. She added that the twins will be able to make their own decisions about their relationship with their father when they are older.
Brians briefly thanked law enforcement and expressed his love and regret to the judge.
“I love my babies and I’m sorry,” she told the court.
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