'Horribly Offensive' Marin Vandalism Attack Probed

SAN RAFAEL, CA — Sometimes, evidence of a hate crime is clear.

In other instances, investigators determine a crime against someone who is part of what law enforcement considers a protected class, is incidental.

A recent high-profile San Rafael vandalism attack involving a Muslim woman victim now under investigation, described by police as “horribly offensive,” lands somewhere in the middle of that spectrum, although early indications point to the March 13 incident in the Marin County city not meeting the hate crime threshold.

At around 3 a.m. that day, when the hospital security guard returned to her car parked on the street near the Terra Linda Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, she found her Honda Accord’s tires slashed, its windows broken, and glue poured in the doors and over the exterior of the vehicle, Lt. Lisa Holton told Patch.

Even more disturbingly, the vandal spread chopped meat with bacon and pigs’ feet inside the car, an act of particular concern because of the victim’s Islamic faith, Holton said.

“It was horribly offensive,” Holton said. “There’s no disputing that.”

The victim believes the attack was in retaliation for a misconduct complaint, Holton said.

The victim had made multiple complaints, including one in February, Holton said.

In an interview with KTVU, which first reported the case, the victim told the TV station she reported a guard for making inappropriate sexual comments about a teenage girl in the emergency room.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to use that car again,” she said.

The victim identified herself as Reshmika in KTVU interview, declining to use her last name due to fear of harassment against her family.

"We do not eat pig products, we do not eat bacon, so it's offensive because of my religion and it's frightening this happened to me at my workplace while I was at work," she said.

Detectives have reviewed video surveillance footage from the area, but no suspects have yet been identified, Holton said.

Police have not yet determined whether the case will be classified as a hate crime, Holton said.

“Being that hate crimes are specific intent crimes, we have to be able to prove that the crime was motivated by hate due to the victim’s protected class status,” she said.

Holton said the case will be classified as a hate crime if investigators determine the crime was motivated by the victim’s religion.

But the victim’s assertion that the attack was retaliatory may be exculpatory from a hate crime standpoint, Holton said.

“That could actually disprove a hate crime allegation,” she said.

The victim has worked for Securitas Security for around six months, KTVU reports.

The company’s internal investigation into the victim’s misconduct complaints led to no disciplinary action, The Marin Independent Journal reports.

The company suspended the victim without pay after she was accused of leaving her post at a vaccination site to speak with a Kaiser employee, the report said.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the San Rafael Police Department at (415) 485-3000 and ask for Det. Blake Delzell. Refer to case No. SR21-01690.

Tips can also be made anonymously through the SRPD’s Silent Witness Tip Form.