By Ana Gómez Salcido
A member of the Mexican Co
nsulate General in San Diego was violently attacked by a 37-year old white man.
The case was ruled as a hate crime according to San Diego Consul General Remedios Gomez Arnau.
“I’m going to beat you you damn Mexican,” was what the assailant shouted at the victim according to Gomez Arnau.
The event occurrence happened on May 15 while the victim was returning to his San Diego home from Tijuana on board a MTS Route 929 bus.
“The victim was seated in the back of the bus and was speaking on his cell phone. He continued talking until the assailant confronted him,” Gomer Arnau detailed to La Prensa San Diego.
The assailant began to beat the Mexican national and provoked profuse bleeding from the victim’s nose. The victim also lost consciousness for brief moments.
The bus driver opened the back door when he noticed the attack, the suspect fled the bus but was briefly detained by law enforcement contacted by the driver.
The assailant has been identified as Hew Scott Turner, a 37 year old resident of San Diego.
The victim was taken to the hospital despite injuries not being life threatening.
The Mexican Consul explained that the competent authorities were contacted, including the County DA Office. Hew Scott Turner appeared in court on Wednesday.
Due to the circumstances involved, this aggression has been ruled as a hate crime by authorities. An investigation was immediately opened.
The Consul emitted a message to every Mexican national living in San Diego who might be a victim of a hate crime: “The Mexican Consulate General is here to protect your rights. We hope that such a case does not happen again; but in the eventuality of another hate crime, victims can come immediately to the consulate where we can provide the corresponding legal aid and protect your rights,” Gomez Arau said.
The office of the Consulate General of Mexico in San Diego also emitted a release about the incident: “The Mexican Consulate General of Mexico in San Diego condemns the aggression coming from a U.S. national against a staff member and professional contractor for our agency.”
The Consulate General has called for the contributions of the migrant community to the economy, society, values, and the culture of the United States be acknowledged and become an axis for the link of the society of both nations.
Mexico rejects any act of violence motivated by race, national origin or migratory status of other people and reiterates its commitment to protect the rights of all Mexican nationals in the United States, regardless of their legal migratory status