Couple Speaks Out After Woman Hurls Racial Comments During Mariachi Proposal In Laguna Beach

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — A GoFundMe page for the couple at the center of a racially-charged confrontation in Laguna Beach caught on now-viral video launched this week.

The incident happened on Friday, Oct. 2 at Crescent Bay Point Park in Laguna Beach, when a videographer and photographer were at the scene coordinating a surprise marriage proposal to take place that afternoon.

Now-viral footage of the encounter shows a woman confronting the crew while they were hiding from the couple, who were making their way to their romantic proposal set-up, which included rose petals and a mariachi band.

In the video, the woman can be heard saying, "Go back to Mexico" and "Bulls—t. It's f—king Mexican. This isn't Mexico either" before walking away.

Now, a GoFundMe page for the couple who had organized the surprise proposal has appeared online.

Fontana resident Emmanuel Banuelos wrote about the incident that involved his fiance, Hayely Lugo, on the GoFundMe page.

"Hello, I am Emmanuel Banuelos who just recently prepared a wonderful proposal for my fiancé, Hayely Lugo, that went viral," He wrote. "The reason it went viral was because it was attempted to be ruined by a miserable person."

According to Banuelos, the couple "did not let that get in our way of a once-in-a-lifetime and beautiful proposal and continued on with it."

Donations made to the GoFundMe will go toward funding the couple's wedding.

"For those who want to support our life journey for our beautiful Mexican wedding with hours of mariachi music," Banuelos said. "Thank you for all the support. Love over hate!"

According to Laguna Beach City Spokesperson Lauren Ezell, while the city's parks and beaches are open to everyone and are often the backdrop for milestone celebrations, pre-planned set-ups and professional photography have specific rules and permit requirements.

Ezell told Patch that the video production team behind recording the surprise proposal had not acquired a permit for their filming.

"The city called the company and chatted with her about the situation and permits in the future," Ezell told Patch, referring to Trinity Films, a production company serving SoCal. "They're fully aware now and it's resolved."

However, Ezell also emphasized the city's stance on hateful rhetoric.

"Laguna Beach has long been a place of acceptance and inclusion," Ezell said. "We reject hateful language and behavior of any kind as it does not reflect our communities values."