Hate crime and civil rights violation charges were filed Wednesday against a 33-year-old man who allegedly yelled racial slurs at a Brea gym manager and spit on a police officer.
Erik Lee Overturf of La Habra was charged in Superior Court with a felony hate crime of assault with the present ability to commit violent injury and misdemeanor counts of violation of civil rights and battery on a peace officer, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors say that about 5:30 p.m. Friday, Overturf entered a gym in Brea where his membership had been terminated because of repeated instances of disruptive behavior.
“The defendant is accused of repeatedly yelling racial slurs at the gym’s manager … who is Hispanic, throwing a scanner and pushing a computer monitor from the gym’s front desk area, and attempting to punch (the manager),” according to a statement from the District Attorney’s Office.
Overturf was allegedly motivated by the victim’s ethnicity, officials said.
While in the back of a squad car after being arrested by Brea police, Overturf allegedly yelled profanities and spit at an officer, prosecutors say.
Overturf is next due in court in Fullerton on Jan. 25.
–City News Service