A man was arrested on suspicion of civil rights violations, attempted murder, and attempted arson after police said he attacked a man with anti-Latinx epithets and gasoline in Westminster on Wednesday, Sept. 21.

Shortly before noon Wednesday, authorities said 36-year-old Westminster resident Danh Thanh Nguyen approached a man seated in his vehicle at McFadden Avenue and Oakcliff Drive on foot.

Nguyen made  “derogatory comments” about Latinx people toward the man, threw a cup of gasoline onto him, and tried to ignite the flame, according to Westminster police spokesperson Kevin MacCormick.

The man, who did not sustain injuries from the incident, drove off before Nguyen succeeded in igniting the gasoline, MacCormick said, adding that the two men did not know each other prior to the incident.

Police attempted to apprehend Nguyen around Bushard Street and Westminster Avenue, but he failed to yield, leading to a short pursuit that ended off Brookhurst Street.

Due to the allegations of racial epithets, MacCormick said authorities are investigating the incident as a hate crime, which is encompassed in the “civil rights violations” charge Nguyen faces. Recent data indicates Orange County has seen a 167% increase in reports of hate-related events since 2017.

As of Wednesday evening, jail records indicate Nguyen remains detained at an Orange County facility.

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