Man says he was called 'f***ing Mexican' by stranger who attacked him at restaurant

Officials in Ontario, Calif., are investigating a potential hate crime after a man was attacked at a local chain restaurant and called a “f***ing Mexican” in an incident that was captured on video.

Surveillance footage from inside a Waba Grill in Ontario shows a man who has been identified only as Jose, to protect his safety, ordering his food from the cashier. According to the Los Angeles news station KTLA, Jose was speaking with the employee in Spanish and asked for a key to the restroom. As he headed across the room, another customer approached him and knocked him onto the ground.

“I thought it was an accident,” Jose told the outlet, until the assailant continued to come after him and shouted a racist remark. “He pushed me. I lay down on the floor, and I fell down, and then he punched me on the throat. After that, he said, ‘F***ing Mexican.’ I said wait a minute, that’s not right.”

Jose alleged that he had never seen the man before, and had done nothing to prompt the aggressive behavior. Sgt. Bill Russell of the Ontario Police Department told KTLA that police are investigating the “unprovoked” incident.

“We certainly want to find this person and find out what the motive for the crime was,” Russell said.

The Ontario Police Department did not immediately respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s request for comment. However, KTLA reports that law enforcement officials have yet to track down the suspect. Jose said he hoped that the man would eventually be arrested and charged.

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