*A racist white couple in California have been arrested on hate crime and vandalism charges after targeting a Black man with their racist rhetoric.
According to reports, the couple were unprovoked when they got out of their truck at a traffic stop, did a Nazi salute and shouted “only white lives matter” at a Black man and his girlfriend, per Fox News.
Gregory and Rachel Howell, both 29, were arrested on Friday and released the same day on bail, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office records.
Itzel Lopez, the Black man’s girlfriend, said she was riding passenger and on her way home from her birthday party on July 22, when they noticed the Howells following them in a pickup truck for several minutes, KTLA reported.
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Twitter do your thing.
This happened to my cousin today on her birthday smh. Torrance, CA pic.twitter.com/FXLpsSoB6f— Ximena (@ximcna) July 23, 2020
According to the outlet, as the couple approached a red light at an intersection, the Howells pulled in front of them. They got out of their vehicle and approached Lopez and her boyfriend, which is when she started recording on her phone.
Gregory can be heard yelling “white power” and seen doing a Nazi salute in the footage, while Rachel is heard yelled “Only white lives matter.”
Watch the moment via the clip above.
“We tried to get away. She kept standing in front of the car, and wouldn’t let us leave,” Lopez said.
Gregory then grabbed a shovel from his truck and hit their car, causing damage as Lopez’s boyfriend drove away, police said.
The victims filed a hate crime and vandalism report with Torrance police on July 23.
“We were just in shock. We didn’t know what was going on,” Lopez told KTLA. “Never in my life did I think I was gonna experience this. It’s actually really scary. They don’t even know you and they’re willing to hurt you.”
Police tracked down the Howells a week later and they were arrested and charged for hate crimes and vandalism.
“We want to get justice because it’s not right,” Lopez said. “I don’t want them to just go freely and continue to do this to someone else.”
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