By Louis Chan, AsAmNews National Correspondent
Police tell AsAmNews they’ve arrested a man accused of yelling racial slurs at an Asian business owner of an alteration shop near Salt Lake City.
The Cottonwood Heights Police Department in Utah says it hopes to bring enhanced hate crime charges against the man.
The man who police declined to identify is now facing a disorderly conduct charge.
Authorities tell AsAmNews they arrested the suspect at home and that he is cooperating.
“A lot of people called in, giving us tips. With help of public we gained id on him, went to his home,” said Sgt JD Tazoi, the public information officer for the Cottonwood Heights Police Department.
He says because of the “racial and homophobic slurs,” they are asking the District Attorney to also prosecute on the hate crime charges.
Tazoi says the suspect is believed to be in his 50s and his from nearby Murray.
A witness says the suspect came into the shop asking for a button to be altered. When the worker asked him to repeat his request, he became upset.
“He immediately became irate and aggressive cussing her out — racial slurs, everything in the book. It was about her English, it wasn’t good enough for his standards,” said the witness to KUTV, who didn’t want his whole name used.
“I said you don’t have to be a jerk, is how I’ll put it, and that set him off against me immediately,” said the same witness identified as Michael by ABC4.
That’s when the suspect began using homophobic slurs against Michael.
Police tweeted out photos of the suspect who has already reportedly been identified.
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