‘This is Mexican land, motherf***er’: Activist arrested for replacing American flag with Mexican flag at California’s park (Picture credit: X)
A 24-year-old activist was arrested on Thursday after allegedly tearing down an
American flag
and replacing it with a
Mexican flag
at
Hart Park
in
Bakersfield
, California.
The woman, identified as
Crystal Aguilar
, also threatened park rangers with violence during the arrest, according to body cam footage.
According to the
Kern County Sheriff’s Office
, Aguilar cut the chain securing the flagpole, threw the US flag in the mud and raised Mexico’s national banner.
Deputies arrived around 9:36 am (local time) after receiving multiple reports of an attempted flag theft, as per Fox News. Authorities discovered her white sedan parked in the muddy grass near the flagpole when they arrived.
When park rangers confronted Aguilar, she shouted, “You’re not going to tell me what to do, this is Mexican land, motherf***er!”.
She then resisted arrest, with rangers restraining her as she threatened their families.
“Touch me, motherf***ker, and when your kids die…I’m Mexican. I’m Aztec, motherf***ker and you’re going to pay.”
She also yelled, “My dad is going to kill you and all your family.”
Aguilar is a known
immigrant rights activist
in Kern County and had previously protested
ICE raids
, claiming her Mexican parents were deported when she was a child, according to the New York Post.
Aguilar was booked into
Lerdo Jail
and charged with threatening a peace officer, vandalism, resisting arrest, trespassing and
marijuana possession
.
Her bail is set at $20,689, and she is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, as per Fox News.