San Diego police are investigating a potential hate crime after they said a man drove by two Black people at a local restaurant, spewing a racial slur and hurling a glass bottle at them.
Police officials said the victims were dining outside at the Coconut Girl Kitchen in the Pacific Beach area on Feb. 28, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
The Union-Tribune reports that according to video footage, the vehicle seems to be a 2000s model black Volkswagen with prior front-end damage and a missing center grill. Video of the altercation also suggests that a green parking permit may be hanging from the vehicle’s rearview mirror.
“While they were eating, a man driving a dark colored sedan pulled over near their table and rolled down the passenger side window,” a San Diego Police Department news release detailed. “The man yelled a racial slur at the diners and threw a glass bottle through the passenger window at them. The diners were not struck by the bottle, but two of the diners believe they were targeted because they are Black.”
The suspect was described as “either a tan, white man or light-skinned Hispanic man in his late 40s or early 50s,” with neck and face tattoos, according to Fox 5 San Diego. The man’s height might range from 5'9" to 6' and is estimated to weigh around 250 pounds.
Although no one was harmed by the bottle, two customers said they believed the Black diners were targeted due to their race.
Anyone with any information regarding the matter has been encouraged to reach the San Diego Police Department.
“We are asking our community to be vigilant. If you see something, say something,” officials said. “Anyone with information about this assault should contact the San Diego Police Department Northern Division at (858) 525-1700.”
On Tuesday, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland shared that he is launching a month-long “expedited review” into how the justice department can improve its efforts to prosecute hate crimes and collect data pertaining to such incidents, Times of San Diego reports.
In his first memo since taking over the role in March, Garland announced that he wants to find ways to improve the process of the reporting of hate crimes and work with agencies to address instances of bias that may not fit the traditional definition of a hate crime.
The recent surge in violence “requires renewed energy and emphasis on investigation and prosecution, increased community outreach, and the improved collection of data critical to understanding the evolving nature and extent of hate crimes and hate incidents in all their forms,” he wrote.
According to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, violations of hate crimes have dropped by 6% in the country but the center surmises that may be due to the pandemic.
