Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Utah Man Who Beat Latino Father And Son After Reportedly Yelling 'I Hate Mexicans' Won't Be Charged With Hate Crime

Utah Man Who Beat Latino Father And Son After Reportedly Yelling 'I Hate Mexicans' Won't Be Charged With Hate Crime
Photos by Salt Lake County, Veronica Lopez via the Salt Lake Tribune

A hate crime will not be filed against Alan Dale Covington, 50, who beat a Mexican man and his son with a 5-foot metal pole.


Due to a technicality in the law, Covington will face four felony charges of aggravated assault and weapons charges but no hate crime. This is due to the state laws in Utah even though he repeatedly shouted "I hate Mexicans. I'm here to kill someone" and "I'm here to kill a Mexican" during the attack on Jose Lopez, 51, and his son Luis, 18.

Covington allegedly attacked the two men inside the tire shop the senior Lopez has owned for four years after immigrating to the United States from Mexico. Lopez's daughter told the Salt Lake Tribune:

"My family feels targeted. They're very shaken up. It makes my blood boil. What do they want next? Do they want him to kill someone to see that he's dangerous?"

Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill explained there would not be charges of a hate crime to BuzzFeed, It is due to the law in Utah which only allows for upgrading certain misdemeanors to hate crimes.

Covington was charged with multiple felonies.

Gill added:

"I as a state prosecutor cannot give them a measure of justice proportionate to the injury that they're feeling, and that truly is an injustice. It basically leaves us without any kind of hate crime statutory framework. It's a farce is what it is"

He went on to say he was disappointed in Utah lawmakers:

"They have one on the books and we pat ourselves on the back. It's an absolute abdication of responsibility by my legislature given the gravity of these offenses and the collateral impact it has on the rest of the community."


Although Jose Lopez escaped with lacerations on his arm and bruising to his back, his teenage son underwent a three-hour surgery for a massive blow to the head which required Luis to receive a titanium plate on the right side of his shattered face.

Utah has not prosecuted a hate crime in 20 years.

Meanwhile it will be a long recovery for Luis. A GoFundMe page was set up to help the family pay for medical bills.

People are outraged this cannot be considered a hate crime.















No word whether Utah is looking at changing their hate crime laws to allow them to be used.

H/T: Huffington Post, Buzzfeed

More from Trending

Screenshots of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez giving Capitol tour
@AmberJoCooperX; @aoc/BlueSky

AOC Saves The Day By Giving Bronx Middle School Group A Tour Of The Capitol Amid Shutdown

New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had people cheering after she stepped in to act as tour guide after a group of middle schoolers from the Bronx pulled up to the Capitol hours after the U.S. government officially shut down.

The federal government shut down early Wednesday after the White House and Congress failed to reach an agreement on federal spending. While Senate Democrats are in the minority, they hold enough seats to filibuster and are insisting that Republicans agree to extend federal subsidies for people insured under the Affordable Care Act.

Keep ReadingShow less
house with orange walls and red roof behind decorative fence

.

Alexander Lunyov on Unsplash

Homeowners Reveal Hidden Gems They Only Discovered After Buying Their Homes

Whenever you buy a house, you hope and pray for the best.

You never want an unexpected shock once everything is finalized.

Keep ReadingShow less
John Gillette; Pramila Jayapal
@AzRepGillette/X; Win McNamee/Getty Images

GOP Lawmaker Sparks Outrage After Calling For Dem Rep. To Be Executed For Urging People To Protest Trump

On Wednesday, September 25, an Arizona MAGA Republican state Representative publicly called for the execution of Washington Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal because she urged anyone displeased with MAGA Republican President Donald Trump's job performance to exercise their First Amendment right to free speech and to protest.

Apparently, urging citizens to make their voices heard was a step too far for Arizona state GOP Representative John Gillette, who responded to a clip edited out of a longer video by right-wing account The Patriot Oasis (TPO). A quick scan through Gillette's X account media posts will reveal his political leanings.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from ​@nicolekatelynn1's TikTok video
@nicolekatelynn1/TikTok

Liberal TikToker Mortified After Discovering That Her Therapist Is Hardcore MAGA

There used to be a time where politics did not have to come into every room or be a part of every conversation. But in a world with President Trump and MAGA, it's not as simple as being Red, Blue, or Green anymore.

Now, the sociopolitical climate is dangerous for many people and still very stress-inducing for others. It's important to surround ourselves with people who make us feel safe and seen—and unfortunately, that might mean cutting out people who have "different beliefs" than we do.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @valerieelizabet's TikTok video
@valerieelizabet/TikTok

Teacher Reveals The Hilariously Familiar Way Kids Are Getting Around School Phone Bans

No matter what's being banned, or the reasons why it's being banned, kids will always find a way to access what they want.

What's funny is that teens in 2025 are now creating hacks to communicate with each other that will feel very nostalgic to Millennials.

Keep ReadingShow less