Couple arrested for hate crime after yelling 'white power,' using Nazi salute

The victims filed a hate crime/vandalism report with police the following day, July 23, and on July 24, police had obtained arrest warrants for both of the suspects.

By ZACHARY KEYSER
Man gives Nazi salute (photo credit: REUTERS)
Man gives Nazi salute
(photo credit: REUTERS)
A California couple has been arrested on hate crime and vandalism charges after they were seen in a widely shared video spouting off white supremacist rhetoric in the direction of a Black man and his girlfriend, according to the Torrance Police Department.
The suspects, Gregory Howell of Carson and Rachel Howell of Seal Beach, were videotaped on July 22 approaching the Black man and his girlfriend at a red light in Torrance after stopping their truck in front of the victims' car.
In the video, the woman, Rachel, could be seen approaching the passenger side of the victims' vehicle, throwing up two middle fingers while yelling "only white lives matter" in the direction of the couple - with her husband, Gregory, on the driver's side - in a deadpan and eerily fashion - saying "white power" before proceeding to throw up a grim Nazi salute just feet away.

 
 
 
 
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On my birthday JULY 22. 2020 I experience racism in a extremely traumatic way. Today on my 25th birthday I was a victim of racism and so was my boyfriend who is black. We were being harassed for miles . Until we came to a red light . When all this happened They hit the car . Cause damaged to his car . This happened on Artesia and Prairie around 10:23pm. We ended up getting away from there . We got there license plate . Please share ! This happened in the city of Torrance CA. LICENSE PLATE: 51922T2 UPDATE : NO ARREST HAS BEEN MADE . It’s been 10 days. UPDATE #2 : An ARREST was made July 31st. August 1st they were release out on bail. | | #RACISMh #Share #black lives matter #blmanhwa

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"The male suspect then got a shovel and hit the victim's car as the victim drove away," the police statement added. "The victim later determined the female suspect damaged the driver's side mirror."
The victims filed a hate crime/vandalism report with police the following day, July 23, and on July 24, police had obtained arrest warrants for both of the suspects. On July 31, both suspects had been tracked down and arrested.
They were released the same day on bail, according to NBC News.
KTLA local news identified the female responsible for taking the video - one of the victims - as Itzel Lopez.
"That's crazy, the sh*t we have to go through in 2020," Lopez says in the video.
“We were just in shock," Lopez told KTLA, according to NBC. "We didn’t know what was going on. Never in my life did I think I was going to experience this. It’s actually really scary. They don’t even know you and they’re willing to hurt you.”


Related Tags
vandalism
hate crime
black lives matter