SAN DIEGO — A man who intentionally drove a pickup truck off Sunset Cliffs into the ocean with his twin toddlers inside was sentenced Friday to 31 years in state prison.
Robert Brians, 51, pleaded guilty earlier this year to attempted murder, kidnapping and other charges for abducting his twin 2-year-old daughters from his parents' home on June 13, 2020, then speeding off a cliff into the waters below.
Brians and the girls were hospitalized for injuries sustained in the crash. The girls' mother said at Brians' sentencing hearing on Friday afternoon that the children Friday are "doing very well" and "thriving."
She said, "I'm thankful that Robert is taking responsibility for his wrongs and is ready to serve his time. This has been a missing step towards healing for all of us."
In a brief statement before he was sentenced, Brians thanked law enforcement and emergency responders for their efforts in rescuing the children and said "I love my babies and I'm sorry."
At about 4:30 a.m. June 13, the toddlers' mother called 911 to report that Brians had taken their children without permission.
At a 2021 preliminary hearing, she testified that after Brians absconded with the girls, she exchanged several text messages with him as she tried to ascertain their whereabouts.
She testified that Brians repeatedly sent messages indicating that he was planning to drive off a cliff in his truck while his girls were inside.
One message he sent her read, "The girls are going to Heaven and I'm going to Hell to wait for you."
San Diego police Detective Aletha Lennier testified that three minutes prior to driving off the cliff, Brians made a Facebook post that read in part, "Tonight, I'm sending my babies to Heaven."
Police tracked his cellphone to the Sunset Cliffs area, where SDPD Lt. David Bautista spotted the truck on Hill Street, near Sunset Cliffs Boulevard at about 5 a.m. Bautista testified that he saw the truck accelerate towards the cliff and into the water, where it landed upside down.
San Diego Police K-9 Officer Jonathan Wiese, who rappelled down the cliff using a 100-foot dog leash, testified that he found Brians floating in the water and holding both girls in his arms. One of the girls was crying and holding onto Brians' neck, while the other was limp and seemingly lifeless, according to Wiese.
The officer said he helped propel Brians to shore by swimming behind him and pushing him through the water. Wiese's rescue efforts earned him a National Carnegie Medal, which recognizes acts of heroism, and the declaration of an official "Jonathan Wiese Day" in the city of San Diego.
Along with the agreed-upon 31-year prison term, San Diego Superior Court Judge Joan Weber imposed 10-year protective orders prohibiting contact between Brians and his children, as well as their mother.
Weber did so over the objection of Brians' defense attorney. The judge said, "These girls need time to heal" and said it would be more appropriate for the children to decide whether they would want to contact Brians when they were older.
Weber told Brians, "The true miracle of this situation, sir, is that you are not before me for two counts of premeditated murder of those two beautiful girls. It's incredibly shocking to the court that you would let whatever disputes you have with your wife lead you to try to take the lives of two innocent, 2-year-old, beautiful children."
WATCH: Details emerge on San Diego father who drove truck off cliff with toddlers inside allegedly on purpose (2020)