Man Accused Of Hate Crime Against Elderly Latino Man In Petaluma

PETALUMA, CA — A Petaluma man is accused of hitting a Hispanic man with a stick Tuesday night in what police allege was a hate crime.

According to a Petaluma Police Department news release, the incident was reported at 8:03 p.m. Tuesday by a witness who called 911 and said "an aggressive male hit another person with a large stick" outside a business at 80 E. Washington St. in Downtown Petaluma.

The caller gave police a description of the suspect, whom officers found nearby and identified as Timothy Schmelzer, 58, of Petaluma.

When officers found the 70-year-old victim on a nearby street, he told them he was loading items onto his bicycle in front of a grocery store when Schmelzer walked up to him and began to yell profanities.

"At some point, Schmelzer related that he did not like Hispanic people and proceeded to hit him with a large stick and then left the area," Petaluma police Sgt. Ryan Suhrke said.

The victim did not reply to Schmelzer, police said.

"The victim primarily spoke Spanish and appeared to be of Latin descent," Suhrke said. "Based on the statements reportedly made by Schmelzer and several other factors, the investigating officer developed probable cause that this crime qualified as a hate crime."

Schmelzer was arrested and booked into Sonoma County jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, hate crime and elder abuse, according to Petaluma police.

The victim did not suffer injuries in the incident, police said.

As for Schmelzer, he was still behind bars Wednesday afternoon in lieu of $55,000 bail, according to sheriff's jail records.

Any witnesses of the suspected hate crime who have not already spoken with police are asked to call the Petaluma Police Department at 707-778-4372.