A man was arrested on hate crime charges after grabbing a woman at a store in Westminster

On By art-pedroza

This post was originally published on this site

WESTMINSTER, CA – On Friday, November 8, 2024, at about 7:42 AM, a 43-year-old female and resident of Garden Grove arrived at a retail store in the city of Westminster. She entered the store and walked to the laundry aisle, according to the Westminster Police Department.

The victim alleged when she reached down to pick-up an item, the arrestee (Aaron Navies), without provocation and against her will, grabbed her buttocks with both of his hands. The victim immediately stood up, threw an item at Navies and backed away. Navies made comments to the victim about her ethnicity.

Navies was located and positively identified by the victim and the correct suspect. Navies was placed under arrest for PC 422.75 (a) – Hate Crime and PC 243.4 (e)(1)- Sexual Battery. Navies was booked at Orange County Jail.

This appears to be an isolated event with no further threat to the public. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact the Westminster Police Department. Information can also be provided via Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS or by logging on to www.occrimestoppers.org. Callers can remain anonymous.

The Westminster Police Department does not tolerate hate crimes. If you or someone you know believe you may be the victim of a hate crime, please contact your local law enforcement agency for resources and assistance.

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Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions.

When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.