Prosecutors charge woman with hate crime for allegedly spitting on stranger, using ethnic slur

Santa Clara County prosecutors on Monday announced a hate crime charge filed against a 39-year-old woman who allegedly spat on a stranger having lunch in downtown Mountain View and used an ethnic slur against him.

Karen Inman, a resident of Greenbrae, faces a battery charge along with the hate crime allegation for the attack on Feb. 13 in the area of Castro and Villa streets, according to the county District Attorney’s Office.

Inman allegedly approached the 36-year-old victim, who was eating outside with a friend, and spat on him unprovoked and told him to go back “where you came from,” prosecutors said.

A fellow diner who had seen Inman allegedly approach other people of Asian descent in the area, but did not know how she spoke with them, called police.

Inman was arrested and was set for arraignment Monday afternoon at the Hall of Justice in San Jose.

District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a news release:

“Our community stands together against any hatred and racism against the Asian Pacific Islander community. … It is ignorant. It is wrong. And when it is criminal — those who are charged will face the full power of my office to hold them accountable.”