A 40-year-old woman has been charged with a hate crime after she allegedly called a Mountain View McDonald’s employee and his manager "stupid" and "f-king Mexicans" when asked to put on a mask.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office announced the charges, both misdemeanors, against Alena Jenkins of San Jose on Wednesday.
The incident allegedly happened last Saturday at about 6:45 a.m., when the employees asked Jenkins to leave the restaurant because she refused to wear a mask, according to the District Attorney’s Office. She allegedly told the employee: "F-king Mexican! Go ahead and call the cops!"
Jenkins also shoved a COVID-19 plexiglass shield and sign at the employee.
When the store’s manager stepped in to assist, Jenkins walked around the front counter and called the manager a "stupid Mexican," hitting him on the arm and shoulder. The District Attorney’s Office said Jenkins continued to make racially charged comments once officers arrived and called the McDonald’s employees "dumb Mexicans…who don’t know how to speak English."
"Targeting people because of their perceived ethnicity is not just a shame, it’s a crime," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. "There is no excuse for hatred."
Jenkins is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday at San Jose’s Hall of Justice.
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