Hatboro Woman Accused Of Racist Rant Faces Arraignment

Disclaimer —The video on the link contains vulgar language and remarks.

HATBORO, PA —The woman charged with ethnic intimidation and harassment after a racist rant at a borough pizza place waived her preliminary hearing Friday morning.

Rita Bellew, 55, of Hatboro, appeared before Magisterial District Court Judge Paul Leo as the members of the family that operates Amy's Family Pizzeria —who had captured the rant on a TikTok video —sat in the audience.

Wearing a beige dress suit, Bellew issued a few words to the judge, agreeing to waive the preliminary hearing.

She will face arraignment before the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas in Norristown on June 7, said Tanner Beck, a Montgomery County assistant district attorney.

In the expletive-filled viral video, Bellew confronts a counter employee over a Spanish-language channel being on in the eatery. She demands a refund and then threatens to "look up" the employee and "get them out of town."

"Give me my money back. I’m not giving my money to some illegal immigrant,” she said on the video.

Watch the video here.

Judge Leo read Bellew her rights since it was her first court appearance. Bail was set at $5,000 unsecured.

Bellew was also instructed not to have contact with the victims or visit the pizza place.

The judge also asked Bellew for some information about her current status.

Bellew told the judge that she had left her employment to take care of her dying father and that she has lived in Hatboro for 55 years.

Hatboro police de-escalated the disturbance involving Bellew and then learned that an employee video-recorded Bellew prior to police arriving at the incident, which took place at 5:55 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23.

Police said the video shows Bellew berating the staff of the restaurant with a "profane, racially fueled tirade." Bellew was apparently triggered, at least in part, by a Spanish broadcast being shown on a television in the restaurant, police said.

As Bellew drove off in a white car onto York Road Friday morning, six family members who operate Amy's Family Pizzeria stood outside the courtroom but did not wish to comment on the case.