A La Habra man with a prior conviction in a racially motivated attack in Brea is now accused in a new hate-motivated incident at a local Panda Express, according to court records. Prosecutors say 41-year-old Erik Lee Overturf attacked a woman at the La Habra restaurant on June 2 and later committed vandalism on July 10, according to a criminal complaint. The fresh charges arrive after years of complaints, restraining orders and previous court cases tied to Overturf.
Filed Tuesday, the complaint charges Overturf with a felony hate crime, a hate-crime sentencing enhancement based on his prior conviction, and felony vandalism, along with misdemeanor counts of assault and battery. The filing connects the June 2 allegation to an attack on a woman at the Panda Express and describes a separate vandalism case on July 10. Police and prosecutors did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to MyNewsLA.
Record From The 2018 Brea Case
Overturf’s record includes a January 2018 guilty plea in a Brea case where prosecutors said he repeatedly yelled racial slurs at a gym manager, tried to hit the manager and later spat on a Brea police officer who arrested him. The case drew attention when it was filed and ultimately resolved in a plea deal that reduced an original felony hate-crime charge, as detailed by OC Weekly.
Court Records And Restraining Orders
Court records also show Overturf pleaded guilty in February 2021 in a separate La Habra case to a felony count of false imprisonment and a misdemeanor assault charge. A 2019 restraining order filing describes an incident at a gym where a woman said he grabbed her by the neck and slammed her against a weight machine. In August 2024, a neighbor obtained a restraining order that runs through September 2029, alleging Overturf shouted racial slurs, issued threats and once hurled a five-pound weight through a kitchen window, according to court and civil filings cited by MyNewsLA.
Hate-Crime Numbers In The Region
Recent data suggests Overturf’s latest case is landing in the middle of a complicated landscape for hate-crime enforcement. The California Department of Justice’s 2025 hate-crime report found that certain kinds of racial and ethnic bias incidents increased even as overall reported hate-crime events declined. Meanwhile, the County of Orange’s 2024 hate-crime report shows La Habra recorded one hate-crime event in 2024. Officials caution that reported numbers capture only a slice of actual incidents, with underreporting still a major concern for prosecutors and community groups. See California DOJ and the Orange County Hate Crime Report.
What Happens Next
If prosecutors move ahead on the hate-crime enhancement, a conviction under California law could bring jail time, fines and mandatory community service on top of any sentence for the underlying assault and vandalism. Penal Code Section 422.6 specifically addresses racially motivated assaults and vandalism and spells out possible penalties. It is not yet clear when Overturf will next appear in Orange County Superior Court; upcoming filings and any public arraignment notices will determine the timeline. For the statutory language, see California Penal Code §422.6.
