Millbrae man charged with a hate crime

Suspect yelled slur at Latino man after November election

REDWOOD CITY — A 34-year-old man Millbrae man authorities say yelled a racial slur at a Latino man the day after the presidential election has been charged with a misdemeanor hate crime, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.

Michael Goggins also is charged with two felony counts of resisting an executive officer, a more serious version of resisting arrest. Goggins pleaded not guilty to the charges Monday.

District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said Goggins approached the victim on Willow Street in Redwood City and said in Spanish, “I’m white. I’m from here.” He then demanded to know where the victim was from, yelled a racial slur and punched him in the chest, Wagstaffe said.

Wagstaff said the victim was not injured.

Goggins admitted to the hate crime after he was arrested by two officers, who were called to the Chevron at 2215 El Camino Real by an employee who claimed he also was accosted by Goggins, Wagstaffe said. In that case, Goggins allegedly asked the employee, who was not white, “Why are you in my country? (Expletive) you. You are lazy.”

Wagstaffe said Goggins tried to bite the officers during his arrest near a warehouse on Laurel Street.

Goggins told the officers he punched the Latino man because he was a “traitor” and also spoke about aliens invading the country, Wagstaffe said. The officers took Goggins to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, but he was cleared, according to prosecutors.

Similar incidents have been reported around the country since Donald Trump’s election. The president-elect vowed on the campaign trail to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico and deport illegal immigrants. On Tuesday, the Southern Poverty Law Center said it collected 437 reports of hateful intimidation and harassment between Nov. 9 and Monday.

“We do not encounter hate crimes too often in this county, and when we do, we will aggressively prosecute them,” Wagstaffe said. “Hate crimes are unacceptable here and in any other county.”

Goggins, who is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 28 for a preliminary hearing, remains in custody in lieu of $50,000 bail.