1 Man’s Hate May Become Another Man’s Windfall

It started out as a hate crime, but ended up like a Lotto cash-in.

And it was all caught on videotape.

As Alberto Ramirez, 27, pulled into the parking lot of a 7-Eleven on Devonshire Street in Chatsworth on Thursday morning, a man in a green 1995 Toyota pickup asked him for directions to the Simi Valley Freeway, said Det. Tony Foti, hate crime supervisor of the Devonshire Division.

After Ramirez gave the directions, the man, described as a tall white male, yelled, “Hey you wetback, go back to Mexico!” and other racial slurs, Foti said.

Police said Ramirez tried to ignore the man and entered the store, but was followed by the man, who picked up a bottle of liquid soap and sprayed it at Ramirez, all the while continuing the insults. Ramirez tried to sidestep his attacker, but the man blocked him, then grabbed two cans of soda and hurled them across the store, police said.

The store security camera caught it all.

Ramirez managed to get outside, grabbed a disposable camera from his car and started taking photos of the man as the man followed him to the parking lot, police said.

While he yelled insults at Ramirez, the man removed a large knife from his jacket and threw it at Ramirez, who dodged it, Foti said.

As a last but expensive resort, the man reached into his pocket and began throwing cash at Ramirez before getting into his truck and driving off.

“It was pandemonium,” Foti said. “At that time, the wind was blowing” about 35 to 40 m.p.h. and bystanders were “snapping money out of the air.”

Ramirez managed to grab $2,333, which he turned in to police, who had been called to the scene.

Police said they will review the 7-Eleven videotape and the pictures Ramirez took of the man to track him down.

The money was booked as evidence at the Devonshire Division, police said. Ramirez could eventually get the money if it goes unclaimed, police said.

“People don’t believe it happened,” Foti said. “I even thought they were trying to pull one on me.”