California woman who went on racist rants could face charges

TORRANCE, Calif. – A California woman who went on a series of profanity-laced tirades disparaging Asian Americans at a park and punched another woman at a mall, sparking a protest against her actions, could face charges, prosecutors said.

Police identified the woman involved in the three incidents as Lena Hernandez, 54, of Long Beach, KTLA reported.

Officers interviewed her at a San Pedro park Wednesday for criminal threats. She was not arrested, however, investigators have submitted their report to prosecutors to consider charges, KTLA reported.

Hernandez was first seen in a video last Wednesday verbally accosting a young woman working out on some steps at the park telling her to “go back to whatever Asian country you belong in.”

The following day video surfaced of Hernandez involved in another incident. She confronts a father who is at the park with his 11-year-old son.

“Do you know how many people can’t stand you being here?” Hernandez said to him. The confrontation escalates and she starts speaking in a mockingly Asian accent saying, “You understand me, China man?”

After the videos surfaced, a third person said she also had a run-in with Hernandez, who attacked her in a restroom last October at the Del Amo Mall, KTLA reported.

Kayceelyn Salminoa intervened when she heard Hernandez berating a cleaning woman at the mall restroom and was pushed to the ground, threatened, and then punched repeatedly in the back of her head.

“That’s a voice you don’t forget,” Salminoa said. “That’s a face you don’t forget.”

Investigators recommended that Hernandez be charged with pushing and striking Salminoa.

Hundreds of people gathered at the park last Friday for a protest workout to support the people who were verbally attacked there, KTLA reported.

FILE PHOTO: A woman was exercising in a California park when she was accosted by a woman who went on a racist tirade, yelling at her to " go back to whatever Asian country you belong in" Wednesday morning.