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Orange County man faces hate crime charges over attacks on women

On Behalf of | Sep 30, 2022 | Criminal Defense, Felonies |

There’s nothing new about single people complaining about dating, but in recent years, some young men have taken this to extremes. So-called incels (for “involuntary celibates”) have gathered online to complain about their lack of success with women, egging each other on with misogynistic comments and worse. Some self-proclaimed incels have even committed violence.

According to news reports, a 25-year-old Anaheim man was recently arrested in Northern California and brought back to Orange County to face charges related to pepper-spray attacks on several people earlier this year. Police said the man filmed himself as he approached women outside a nightclub in Costa Mesa and aggressively demanded they have sex with him. When they refused, police say, he used pepper spray on the women. Prosecutors said that in addition to the two women on the video, the man also attacked two other women and a man who tried to intervene.

Prosecutors have thrown a variety of felony and misdemeanor charges against the Anaheim man, including assault with great bodily injury, illegal use of tear gas and more. Because his allegedly committed these crimes in the spirit of misogyny, prosecutors have applied hate crime enhancements to the charges. If convicted on all the charges, the man could face 13 years in federal prison.

The right to a defense

News reports about violent crime can be shocking. When they involve alleged hate crimes, they can be doubly so. But that feeling of shock should not blind us to the important fact that everyone accused of a crime has the right to a defense. The criminal justice system must presume a defendant is innocent until they have been proven guilty in a court of law.

It’s important for all defendants to seek out the best criminal defense attorney they can find. In cases involving shocking accusations, it’s especially important for the accused to seek out help from attorneys who have experience in defending clients from serious charges.