Utah Man Faces Hate Crime Charges for Assault on Muslim Woman, Child
Charges have been filed against a Utah man for hate crimes, stemming from an incident in which he is accused of spitting on a Muslim mother and her 7-year-old son while making offensive comments, telling them to "go back to your country."
This incident occurred on October 27 at the Utah Transit Authority's Millcreek Station, located at 210 W. 3300 South, according to charging documents filed in 3rd District Court, the Salt Lake Tribune reported on Friday.
Transit authority police were called to the station in response to a report about a man, identified as 60-year-old Robert Wolcott, who was reportedly intoxicated and behaving disruptively while attempting to board a bus, according to the charges.
During the police intervention, the mother, visibly upset, approached an officer and said that Wolcott had spat at her and her child as they exited a train. She said that he had used derogatory language, including telling them to "go back to your country" and using explicit language. Notably, the woman was wearing "traditional Muslim clothing," as described by prosecutors.
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Wolcott was arrested on the same day of the incident but was released a day later on his own recognizance. He was also banned from all UTA modes of transport for a period of 30 days.
Wolcott now faces two counts of propelling a bodily substance, which is typically classified as a class B misdemeanor. However, prosecutors have upgraded these charges to class A misdemeanors by applying the victim-targeting penalty, asserting that Wolcott targeted his victims based on their perceived non-U.S. origin. Additionally, he is charged with a single count of intoxication, a class C misdemeanor, and an infraction for disorderly conduct.
It is important to note that this incident has occurred in the context of increased threats and hate crimes against Arab, Jewish, and Muslim communities in the United States during the Israel-Hamas conflict. Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill emphasized that hate crimes have no place in the county and stated, "Hate speech is protected under our constitution. Hateful action to the criminal harm of others is not and will be prosecuted by this office."
Source: Agencies
