Whitey Ford
12-03-2018, 12:30 PM
A man accused of beating a Latino father and son while making derogatory statements about Mexicans will not be charged with a hate crime due to limitations of state laws in Utah.
Alan Dale Covington, 50, faces four felony counts of aggravated assault, as well as several weapons and drug charges, according to Salt Lake County jail records. He allegedly beat Jose Lopez, 51, and his son Luis, 18, with a 5-foot metal pole outside the family's tire shop last week, the Salt Lake Tribune reported
Covington reportedly said, “I’m going to kill someone” before swinging the pole at the two men, according to police logs. Luis was struck in the head and later transported to a local hospital in serious condition. His father sustained a laceration to his forearm.
Veronica Lopez told the Tribune that her father and brother felt targeted by the attacker who also shouted "I hate Mexicans" and "I'm here to kill a Mexican" before asking if they were part of the "Mexican mafia." Her father, who immigrated to Utah from Mexico, has owned a tire business for four years.
https://www.rgj.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/02/utah-man-wont-face-hate-crime-charge-attack-latino-father-son/2183373002/
https://i.imgur.com/RfxCkxA.jpg
Police found Luis Lopez "bleeding profusely from his face" and "gurgling and coughing on his own blood," according to a document indicting Covington for the crime.
Covington's indictment states that, when questioned by detectives, he claimed "that the Mexican Mafia had been after him since 2008" and that he went into the tire shop to see if anyone there knew anyone in that group because "all of them know each other."
The Mexica Mafia is a "notorious" prison gang Covington may have encountered in the past, said Det. Greg Wilking with the Salt Lake City Police Department. Neither Luis nor Jose Lopez have any affiliation with that group, Wilking said.
When detectives asked Covington if he went to the business because the owners were Mexican, Covington told them he did, court documents state.
https://kutv.com/news/local/police-man-who-attacked-father-son-in-tire-store-claimed-mexican-mafia-was-after-him
Alan Dale Covington, 50, faces four felony counts of aggravated assault, as well as several weapons and drug charges, according to Salt Lake County jail records. He allegedly beat Jose Lopez, 51, and his son Luis, 18, with a 5-foot metal pole outside the family's tire shop last week, the Salt Lake Tribune reported
Covington reportedly said, “I’m going to kill someone” before swinging the pole at the two men, according to police logs. Luis was struck in the head and later transported to a local hospital in serious condition. His father sustained a laceration to his forearm.
Veronica Lopez told the Tribune that her father and brother felt targeted by the attacker who also shouted "I hate Mexicans" and "I'm here to kill a Mexican" before asking if they were part of the "Mexican mafia." Her father, who immigrated to Utah from Mexico, has owned a tire business for four years.
https://www.rgj.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/02/utah-man-wont-face-hate-crime-charge-attack-latino-father-son/2183373002/
https://i.imgur.com/RfxCkxA.jpg
Police found Luis Lopez "bleeding profusely from his face" and "gurgling and coughing on his own blood," according to a document indicting Covington for the crime.
Covington's indictment states that, when questioned by detectives, he claimed "that the Mexican Mafia had been after him since 2008" and that he went into the tire shop to see if anyone there knew anyone in that group because "all of them know each other."
The Mexica Mafia is a "notorious" prison gang Covington may have encountered in the past, said Det. Greg Wilking with the Salt Lake City Police Department. Neither Luis nor Jose Lopez have any affiliation with that group, Wilking said.
When detectives asked Covington if he went to the business because the owners were Mexican, Covington told them he did, court documents state.
https://kutv.com/news/local/police-man-who-attacked-father-son-in-tire-store-claimed-mexican-mafia-was-after-him