A Los Angeles County employee has been charged with hate crimes after allegedly targeting an Asian co-worker with death threats and burglaries, as per a statement from the county's District Attorney's office. Bhavin Patel, a staffer at the County Counsel office, is accused of placing threatening messages at his colleague's workspace on multiple occasions last month, intended to sow fear based on racial animus.
Patel, with a date of birth listed as March 8, 1983, faces three felony counts each of criminal threats, second-degree burglary, and violation of civil rights, the District Attorney's office announced. The alleged incidents at the County Hall of Administration on Aug. 25, Aug. 26, and Sept. 4 have led to charges that could result in a conviction of up to 13 years and four months in state prison. The court has set bail at $575,000, though Patel has since posted bond.
"My office has no tolerance for acts of hate, which terrorize victims and send waves of fear throughout our county's diverse communities," District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman stated. He stressed that "Everyone deserves a safe workplace and no one deserves to be vilified for their race or ethnicity," as noted by the DA's office. The case remains under investigation by the Hate Crimes Task Force of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and will be prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Christopher Stogel of the Hate Crimes Section.
