Texas woman arrested for hate crime against Indians in viral video
By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Police in Texas arrested a girl who they stated shouted racial abuse at 4 Indian girls in a viral video, telling them to “Return to India,” in an incident dropped at the eye of federal authorities.
“This incident is a hate crime in accordance with Texas legal guidelines,” police in Plano, Texas, the place the incident occurred, stated in a press release on Saturday.
“This incident may additionally be a hate crime based mostly on federal legislation, and we’re working carefully with the FBI and the Division of Justice Civil Rights Division on this case.”
In a video of the incident, which was shared on social media and received hundreds of thousands of views, the lady was seen shouting racist feedback in a parking zone at a bunch of 4 girls of Indian origin.
“Return to India, we do not need you right here,” she stated within the video. “I hate you fucking Indians,” the lady, who recognized herself as Mexican-American within the video, added.
The arrest of the lady occurred on Thursday. The video of the incident from Wednesday went viral on social media, notably in India and the USA.
Police stated the lady, Esmeralda Upton, was arrested on one cost of “assault bodily damage” and one cost of “terroristic threats.” She was held on a complete bond quantity of $10,000.
One of many Indian girls, Rani Banerjee, stated she and three of her mates had simply completed dinner at a restaurant when the lady confronted them within the parking zone.
“All of a sudden, we heard this lady yelling at us and began coming towards us. We have been shocked by the racial slurs that she used and combative perspective,” Banerjee instructed an ABC Information affiliate. Banerjee began recording the incident along with her telephone.
The video additionally seems to point out Upton hitting the ladies.
“What was so very scary is she got here very shut and never solely verbally assaulted us however began bodily assaulting us. She began hitting me,” Banerjee stated.
A consultant of Upton couldn’t instantly be reached for remark.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Enhancing by Alistair Bell)
