Modesto man, tied to racist flyers, is convicted on felony charges
A Modesto man accused of distributing racist slurs was convicted of stalking and making criminal threats against people based on their Latino ethnicity.
Anthony Ruben Rodriguez, 39, was arrested four months ago on hate crime charges related to incidents between October and December 2024. Rodriguez distributed and posted multiple flyers containing hate speech in the Parklawn neighborhood in south Modesto and in other areas.
The Stanislaus County District's Office said Rodriguez admitted to targeting Latino residents because of their ethnicity. In a plea agreement, he admitted to a felony charge of stalking a woman, with a hate crime enhancement, and a second felony of making criminal threats against another victim, with the same enhancement.
He also was convicted of misdemeanor civil rights charges, and is scheduled for sentencing Thursday.
In December, Rodriguez was arrested and identified as a suspect who made and distributed signs and index cards with violent messages including 'kill wetbacks.' Some of the index cards were left on car windshields.
Investigators from the district attorney and sheriff's offices were looking into the incidents after community members complained about the lack of response to the racial epithets. A break came when Modesto police responded to a call in the area of Ninth and K streets, prompted by a racially offensive note left on a vehicle.
Modesto Police Department found it had an arrest warrant for Rodriguez tied to criminal threats and a stalking incident in October. Rodriguez was arrested and a search warrant served at his residence revealed the same kind of racist flyers distributed at Parklawn.
District Jeff Laugero said in a news release many of the flyers, though offensive, were constitutionally protected as free speech, such as those that didn't threaten violence. 'We recognize that hate speech is deeply offensive and harms those it targets and those subjected to it,' Laugero said. 'However, under the First Amendment, some offensive flyers are protected speech.'
Laugero said the lack of criminal charges related to some of Rodriguez' flyers is not an endorsement of hateful views but is an acknowledgment of First Amendment protections. Rodriguez, who's from an Hispanic background, seemed to target newer immigrants with his messages.
The DA's hate crimes prosecutors have specialized training in these legal issues and also seek advice from a hate crimes expert at Stanislaus State University, the news release said.
'This office will file charges when offensive flyers or other similar hate speech crosses the line from protected speech to illegal hate crimes,' Laugero said. 'Hate has no place in our community.'
Any fines collected from Rodriguez will go to a local organization that assists hate crime victims.
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