A Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station spokesman confirmed Tuesday a criminal threats investigation in Canyon Country last month also resulted in a report of a hate incident due to an allegation of a racial slur.
Detectives believe Michael Ellsworth Madison, a 55-year-old Black man, used a slur to describe his Latino neighbors in the 26800 block of Claudette Street, which the victims believe was “based upon their cultural heritage,” according to Santa Clarita Courthouse records.
This was after he allegedly threatened to “pistol whip” his neighbor’s son that same day, March 26, according to sworn statements a station detective made in a request to search for a gun at the Canyon Country apartment complex.
Deputies arrested Madison and seized a Remington .22 caliber pistol, 10 rounds and a piece of mail to prove it was his apartment.
In the detective’s report, the resident notes that prior to the incident being reported, her homeowners association had advised her to start recording what the victim alleged was “frequent verbal harassment” in interactions with Madison.
Detectives reported in their search request that the victim shared the following interaction:
The suspect was “stationed” at the bottom of the stairs with his pet dog.
“The witness recorded the suspect stating, ‘Step down and I’m going to pistol-whip (the victim’s) ass,’” and also, “Pull a gun on me again, I’ll pistol-whip his ass.”
The racial slur was allegedly used later that day, when the suspect also allegedly told them they have bigger things to worry about, “like being deported.”
The victims also stated they have never seen the suspect with a gun. However, the suspect’s unpredictable behavior left them concerned.
Deputy Robert Jensen, spokesman for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, said regarding the report of a hate incident that there is no criminal violation for such speech in the state’s criminal code.
However, a report was taken and such incidents are classified and tracked by the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations. Their latest data indicates such incidents are again on the rise.
The commission actually released its first-ever annual “Hate Incident Report” last week, according to an April 2 news release, which characterized some of its findings as alarming.
“Reported hate incidents in L.A. County grew 35% from 609 in 2022, to 821 in 2023,” according to the release. The Latino population was the second-largest racially targeted group, reporting 69 hate incidents (15%), according to the release, with 60% of these incidents included anti-immigrant slurs.
Referencing a March 28 social media post the station made about the incident, Jensen said the incident was reported to station officials “only after it was posted” on social media.
“We appreciate the community’s vigilance and remind residents that while social media can bring awareness to incidents, it is crucial to report crimes DIRECTLY to law enforcement as soon as possible,” he wrote.
Jensen also said the station’s investigation resulted in the presentation of a criminal-threat charge to the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office on April 4.
L.A. County Superior Court records available online did not indicate any charges have been filed. A spokesman for the District Attorney’s Office said that information was not immediately available.
Madison remains free on bond pending any charges, according to Jensen.
L.A. County Sheriff’s Department custody records indicate Madison is due in court April 23 regarding an unrelated matter that was not immediately available Wednesday.
