Man Charged in Hate Crime and Released

An El Toro man accused of assaulting a black Mission Viejo youth in what authorities called a hate crime has been released from jail on his own recognizance.

Paul Richard Klein, 28, was ordered Friday at his arraignment to return to Municipal Court within 30 days.

Sheriff’s deputies arrested Klein on Tuesday and held him on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, committing a hate crime and assault and battery in the June 30 incident.

Investigators alleged that Klein got out of his car, yelled racial slurs at the 12-year-old black youth as he was walking with three companions, berated him for associating with white girls and struck him in the ribs and face before driving away.

Deputies arrested Klein after tracing the customized Chevrolet Corvette with the Texas license plate 2 COOL that the youth and his friends had described.

Klein, a Texas native, came to Orange County to replace the manager of the Super Shops Performance Auto Center in Tustin, who was slain along with two other workers by a former employee in August.

The firm has reportedly fired Klein over the alleged incident.