Hate growing crimes in Las Vegas

Las Vegas, nev. (Fox5) – The General Prosecutor of Nevada says that the state registers an increase in hatred offenses, the police in the Las Vegas subway reporting 123 in the last six months, but many others are not reported.

Inside a restaurant in North Las Vegas, Maria Zamora, says she was just doing her job -until a customer was frustrated into a heated argument.

“She said so many bad words that I don’t want to repeat it, as, you know, she said that the illegals return to your country,” Zamora said.

He did not stop there, the woman asked for Maria’s social security number, threatened to call ice, then followed it around the restaurant, screaming in front of her.

“No matter who you are, no matter what kind of race where you come from … no one deserves to be treated like that.”

In the last six months, Metro Police in Las Vegas reported 123 hate crimes. But state leaders say many others are not reported.

Lawyer General of Nevada, Aaron Ford, has launched a telephone line of hate crime – a first resource of this kind to help victims report incidents and to support.

“We are on the week of the week to overcome that average number of hatred offenses that we have seen reported last year,” said the chief of Teresa Benitez-Thompson staff.

From January to February last year, Metro reported 25 hatred offenses, but within the same time this year, this number jumped to 44 – almost doubling.

Benitez-Thompson tells us that the telephone line is not just for reporting crimes, but for anyone who experiences an incident of hatred and needs help.

“It is about them that resort to obtaining the support they need, to get the recommendations they need and we finally hope, encouraging them if they feel comfortable enough to submit a report with law enforcement,” said Benitez-Thompson.

Maria says she will not let this incident stop her from continuing to do her job.

“We have to be as together as a community. We are stronger, we do not have to fight each other and no one has to shut up, ”said Zamora.

The telephone line is available to anyone who experiences a hate crime or prejudice incident. Confidential and its reports will not automatically go to the law – putting the decision in the hands of the victims. The appeal number is 775-687-UI or 775-6874283.