A woman who went viral for unleashing a profanity-laden, racially charged tirade on the staff of a Pennsylvania pizzeria is now facing charges, according to the Hatboro Police Department.
The incident reportedly occurred at Amy’s Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant in Hatboro, a suburb of Philadelphia, last week.
The woman, identified by police as 55-year-old Rita Bellew, was apparently triggered, at least in part, by a Spanish-language program playing on a TV in the restaurant.
The ugly scene was caught on video, and it shows Bellew directing her rage at the restaurant’s owner. In the video, Bellew can be heard saying,
“What’s wrong with that is you’re not American, dude. I will look you the f–k up and get you the f—k out of our town. F—k you. Give me my money back. I’m not giving my money to some illegal immigrant.” She also takes issue with the Spanish-language program playing on the TV, calling it a “f–k you” to Americans.
Despite Bellew’s aggressive behavior, the owner of the restaurant, Omar Quinonez, remained calm throughout the ordeal.
He told WPVI, “I was angry but I just didn’t want to be like them. I wasn’t expecting that.
All my customers are really nice people. I’ve never seen that before — 10 years and that was the first time.”
Police were called to the scene and were able to “de-escalate” the situation.
However, Bellew was later charged with ethnic harassment and intimidation and issued a summons. Her court date has not yet been scheduled.
Hatboro Police Chief James E. Gardner told WPVI that the video of Bellew’s outburst was “really over the top. It was a racially-fueled, profane rant directed at their heritage and it’s not going to be tolerated.”
Despite the ugly incident, Quinonez said that his restaurant has received an outpouring of support from people all over the world since the video went viral on social media.
In conclusion, Rita Bellew is facing charges after her profane, racially charged tirade at Amy’s Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant in Hatboro, PA.
The incident was caught on video, and the restaurant owner remained calm throughout the ordeal.
Police were able to de-escalate the situation, and Bellew has been charged with ethnic harassment and intimidation. The restaurant has since received support from people all over the world.
Mckourage
