SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A jury found a Utah man guilty of three hate crimes for shouting that he wanted to “kill Mexicans” before attacking three Latinos at a tire shop.
Alan Dale Covington, 51, was convicted of attacking Jose Lopez and his 18-year-old son Luis with a 3-foot (0.9-meter) metal pole in November 2018, the Salt Lake Tribune reported Wednesday. He faces life in prison.
“This defendant attacked this family because of who they are,” said Rose Gibson, representing the federal government in this case. “He came armed.”
Jose Lopez’s brother Angel Lopez joined them outside after Covington refused to leave the property, prosecutors said. Covington then swung a metal pole twice, hitting the 18-year-old in the face the second time before Angel Lopez eventually scared him away, prosecutors said.
Evidence was presented against Covington that showed he went to another auto shop two days earlier allegedly screaming similar slurs before eventually leaving when he found out the man was from Venezuela, according to court documents.
Jose Lopez testified that Covington shouted, “Go ahead and call the police, but I’m going to kill you guys. You’re part of the Mexican mafia. You killed my daughter.”
Covington was targeting members of the Mexican mafia he believed had killed his daughter, not Mexicans in general, his attorneys said. Covington only struck the man and his son when surrounded outside the shop, attorneys said.
Defense attorneys for Covington countered that he was suffering from delusions and is not prejudiced.
Covington’s team is expected to appeal.
Covington was originally charged in district court with aggravated assault, possession of a dangerous weapon and use of a controlled substance. Those counts were all dismissed last week.
Covington was not originally charged with a hate crime because court officials say the state law, as written, does not permit such a charge, the newspaper said. The issue launched a reexamination of the statute, and the Legislature passed a much stronger version last year.
“With this verdict, justice is obtained for the Mexican family and a clear message is sent that any crime against victims identified by their gender, race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, identity and sexual orientation will be prosecuted to the last consequences,” a statement by the Mexican consulate in Salt Lake City said.
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