Racist Halloween flier found in Redondo Beach in repeat of 2021, police say
Redondo Beach police arrested a man who they say posted a racist Halloween flier on the beach.
The flier, which was found by police officers, was written on a plastic bag the man said contained candy in September 2021, according to a police news release.
“The flier contained a threatening message, which suggested the person involved in the event is a ‘cub’” and, ‘we will bring a lot of harm to your community and destroy your businesses,’ according to the police news release.
Officers discovered the flier Nov. 22 when they responded to a report of an assault on a woman on the beach. When they arrived, they saw the suspect in a white shirt on the beach.
After officers stopped the man, they saw a plastic bag, about 4 feet long and 3 inches wide, with orange and white coloring on it.
The man then allegedly told officers, “I don’t know what’s in this bag. I put it on the sand.”
The bag is considered evidence in the case, according to the report. The man’s address was listed as “Kirktown,” on the flier, but that is considered a different address than the one listed on the man’s arrest report, which includes his address as a residence in East Los Angeles.
The man was taken into custody on suspicion of committing a hate crime, making a terroristic threat and vandalism of a commercial building.
The incident was referred to the District Attorney’s Office for possible criminal charges, as is standard for reports involving a hate crime.
The Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday will consider approving two resolutions that would require police to seek approval from civil rights organizations and prosecutors if they want to pursue a hate crime charge against a member of the public who posts a sign or photo on a public place with a message that someone is guilty of a crime.
The resolutions make changes to a new policy the Los Angeles Police Department adopted in April after an outcry from activists, residents and some city officials. It said officers are allowed to review the circumstances to see whether there’s sufficient evidence for a hate crime prosecution.
They also made changes to language in the new policies that could be
