A man who plowed his Toyota Corolla into a group of pedestrians at a crowded intersection in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Tuesday apparently did so in part because he thought at least some were Muslim, the police said Friday.

The man, Isaiah J. Peoples, 34, faces eight counts of attempted murder in the episode, in which eight people were injured. Three of the victims were minors, and one, a 13-year-old girl, remained in critical condition on Friday evening.

Chief Phan Ngo, of the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, said at a news conference on Friday afternoon that further evidence obtained by the police suggested that Mr. Peoples “intentionally targeted the victims based on their race and his belief that they were of the Muslim faith.”

The chief would not elaborate on how the police obtained the information pointing to a possible motive, saying that the investigation was continuing.