>> >>: Joining me to look that issue of hate in San Diego county are my guests Oscar Garcia,
and Edgar Hopida.
Thank you gentlemen for weeing here.
Edgar, we have a large Muslim community in El Cajon.
What's been the reaction to this death.
>> >>: First is shock but also they feel that maybe they're under siege because it's possibility
it moilgt be a hate crime.
That's the perception.
Whether or not it is a hate crime or not is still to be decided.
They feel their community is under siege.
>> >>: Before this happened, was there ever some talk or feelings that in fact there was
this kind of prejudice or hate within the community.
>> >>: I mean, just generally Muslims have been since 19/11 the target of being mu lined
and looked at.
As far as it going all the towards the violence that's something we haven't really experienced
as much in the county, thank god, as opposeedto other areas of the United States.
>> >>: They're very careful to point out if this is a hate crime.
I know Oscar Garcia, you can't speak specifically about this case, can you give us an idea of
the frequency of hate crimes in San Diego county and the nature of those crimes.
>> >>: Oarch the last few years we had a decrease in hate crimes in San Diego county.
In tbent 06 there was a spike of 30%, and 2010 it spiked up again about 30%.
We should always be individual lnt in regardsto this cases.
We want the public to contact the police immediate whrea even if it doesn't arrive to the level
of a hate crime, what we refer to hate ins r incident, name calling, slurs.
>> >>: What are we talking about then for hate crimes specifically.
>> >>: In order to determine and file charges for a hate crime we need to have significant
evidence that the motivation for the client was a bias or prejudice towards thesthe victim.
If someone was attacked with a weapon or there was vandelism, we have to show the initial
motive of the perpetrator that it was bias motivated.
>> >>: And we know that there's been an increase.
Do we know how often that happens in the county?
>> >>: I receive cases in which the perpetrator has been identified.
There's a lot of other cases where a lot of these cases go unsolved.
>> >>: Are there certain areas in the county where this happens more?
>> >>: I think east county has a bad reputation where in the last five and a half years I
have cases from south bay to north county to downtown.
>> >>: Edgar, have you ever been a victim of prejudice or hate or someone in your family?
>> >>: My wife was a victim of anti Muslim hate incident at horton plaza mall a.couple
went up to herÊ she's Filipino, by the way, from Canada, and said why don't you go back
to Iraq.
This was duringthe Iraq wawr war.
Ver disturbing coming from downtown San Diego.
>> >>: How do youÊ I mean that was a name calling incident, whatÊ how do you kind of
get over this.
I mean, Oscar, this question goes to you as well.
People who are victims from really a range of hate, what'sÊ how do you get over that
incident and kind of try to recover from that?
>> >>: Because of hate crimes take more than twice as long to recover from emotional.
There's a spurs nl thing about skin color, religion, and the feel there's nothing they
can do to make themselves less at risk to being attacked in the future.
When they share the story with their community, they feel the same way.
That's why these cases are very different why we have additional penalties.
>> >>: Oscar, when you look at these cases, can do you ever think I can't believe this
st still happening?
>> >>: Absolutely.
One of the earlier cases I had was in east county where the victims tossed into the residence,
something you think about Mississippi in the early part of eur century that these things
were still happening.
>> >>: Edgar, what does the community do now to sort of move forward and to make sure there
isn't some retaliation right now?
>> >>: What we're tryingto do is calm the water.
Say let the police do their job, let's not call it a hate crime until it's determined
it's a hate crime.
I think we had positive feedback from a lot of people, people from other faiths, other
religions saying what can we do to support you guys.
That's why we're going to be holding something later
on in the evening with this memorial.
>> >>: Edgar and Oscar, thank you both for being here.
>> >>: Thank you.