The tearful woman regretfully apologized for the incident, with her life made a living hell since video of the incident went viral:
Since the encounter, Polon said she’s been the target of intense online harassment and threats. Several Latino groups as well as a resident from inside her building staged a protest outside her home over the weekend.
For his part, Miguel Sanchez declined to press charges, saying “I can make a difference in this world, knowing that if I act like this, maybe it will make others think that we’re not so bad, just the color my skin or the job that I do."
Source: KTLA
A woman spoke out Tuesday after she was seen on video throwing hot coffee at a Latino contractor during a controversial confrontation at an upscale condominium complex in Century City.
The incident took place on Aug. 4 at a building located in the 2300 block of Fox Hills Drive, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Rhonda Polon said she regrets the entire incident and that her only concern that day was to protect her property.
“I’m not a racist,” she said. “None of those things have ever come out of my mouth. I may have a temper at some points, but I am not a racist person.”
Polon doesn’t condone her actions in the video that has gone viral on social media and tearfully apologized for throwing coffee in the face of Miguel Sanchez, who arrived with his coworker at the complex to perform repairs requested by one of the owners.
"She was calling us wetbacks, and that we were probably there to steal stuff," Sanchez told KTLA. "After all those racial comments on us, I got my phone out and started recording."
Polon claimed due to recent burglaries in her garage she questioned why the two were trying to gain access to the building when she saw them outside the gate.
“There’s a lady being super racist and crazy right now. She doesn't let us in; we work here,” Sanchez could be heard saying in the video.
Sanchez said he began recording the woman after claiming she verbally attacked them with racial slurs even after showing her the garage opener and keys he reportedly received from the owner.
The incident escalated when the coffee was tossed, prompting Sanchez to contact LAPD. But Polon said it was just in self-defense.
