Bethlehem Couple Charged with Ethnic Intimidation for Allegedly Threatening White Women

A Bethlehem couple are facing ethnic intimidation charges after threatening two white women during an altercation in Macungie on Sunday night, according to police.

The two are charged with calling the women “white (expletives)” during the altercation and Michael David Layton is also accused of loading an airgun and pointing it at one of the women’s heads, according to LehighValleyLive.com.

According to Pennsylvania state law, ethnic intimidation is when an individual is accused of committing a crime with malicious intention toward the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity of another individual or group of individuals.

The accused couple were arraigned on Monday morning. Layton, who is African-American, is being held at Lehigh County Jail on $1 million bail and Alexandra Carter, Layton’s wife, is being held on $500,000 bail, according to Lehigh Valley Live.

To read a more detailed account of the incident, go to LehighValleyLive.com