BLM Mural Lawsuit in Santa Cruz Prosecuting Hate Crime Allegation – KION546

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SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION) After Brandon Bochat, 20, and Hagan Warner, 19, were arrested and charged with criminal vandalism and conspiracy to commit a felony, the prosecution plans to prosecute criminal vandalism with a hate crime allegation.

You can add a hate crime violation to that if it’s done to interfere with or damage a protected class… in that case, obviously, race, ”said Michael Mahan, assistant district attorney.

The preliminary hearing takes place on December 13. In this case, they are pursuing a hate crime allegation instead of a hate crime charge because vandalism towards a mural painted by a community instead of a hate crime directed against a particular individual.

This is usually done when it comes to a threat of violence or damage to the property of a specific person who falls under the protected classes, ”Mahan said.

But community members believe that is not enough. Taylor Reinhold of SC Equity Collab, the organization that helped resurrect the mural, is in favor of a more hands-on approach with the two people reporting to restorative justice.

“Putting them in the system is not going to fix what was done to the community… bring everyone together in one place, in a safe space and help fix what they destroyed,” said Reinhold.

The fresco has not yet been repaired. KION contacted the defense but did not receive a response.

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