Hate Crime Charge For Arlington Cell Phone Store Customer

ARLINGTON, MA – Arlington police charged a Somerville man with a hate crime after what they called a "disturbing altercation" inside a cell phone shop.

Police responded to a Verizon Wireless store around 8 p.m. Tuesday for a report of a disturbance. A clerk told officers a man had asked him to fix his cell phone, but he could not because he was only authorized to handle Verizon phones and the man had another carrier, according to police. When the clerk tried to direct the man to another store for assistance, the man allegedly became angry and shouted "racial and anti-immigrant epithets" at him.

The man continued swearing and using racist language and was "sweating, grinding his teeth and clinching his fists" as he came around the storefront counter and moved toward the clerk in a "menacing manner," according to the clerk's account.

Police searched the area and arrested Andrew Robert DeCarlo, 36, based on the description of the suspect. He was charged with assault with intent to intimidate as a hate crime.

"The hard-working men and women of Arlington deserve to earn a living free of harassment and hatred," Chief Frederick Ryan said in a statement. "Nothing gives an individual the right to put another person in fear for their safety, and I am very proud of the professionalism of our officers to find this individual. I would also point out the resiliency and bravery of the store employee in this case to report this incident for what it was: a hate crime."

DeCarlo will be arraigned in Cambridge District Court Wednesday.

Image via Arlington Police Department