It was announced by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office that Jeanne Terese Umana, 74, was charged with battery and trespassing for her racist behavior in September against a Latino construction worker. Both are misdemeanor offenses.
In the footage, Umana confronted Luis Cervantes at a downtown apartment complex. Being the Karen that she is, Umana’s nosy ass insisted that as a neighbor of the apartment she had every right to know what construction was taking place.
It gets worse, as Umana says she’s an American and called Cervantes a “Tijuanan.” Umana then apparently hits Cervantes and/or the camera out of the his hand. The disturbing video sparked protests in Santa Barbara led by activist Edin Alex Enamorado.
Protestors reiterated that Santa Barbara has a population that is almost 71% white and 36% Latino. In addition, it also has a history of ignoring racist acts. They marched to promote immediate change and emphasize the fact that Umana’s actions aren’t going to be tolerated.
Umana apologized while also attempting to justify her actions. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, she stated:
“When someone put the camera in my face, I think that’s when I lost my judgment. My judgment went very, very badly. I am truly sorry that this got out of hand, and I regret making statements like that, because I said them in the heat of the moment. They were not measured, and whatever I might feel, I don’t have the right to take it out on anybody else. But unfortunately, I lost control.”
Umana will be arraigned on November 30 for misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor trespassing in Department 8 at Santa Barbara County Superior Court. Hopefully, Cervantes will receive some sort of justice.