The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on the Monterey County District Attorney to take action in response to an alleged hate crime that occurred more than two weeks ago and to file charges against the perpetrator.
The incident involved two Palestinian-American Muslim siblings and a Native American relative, who were at a beach in Sand City, Calif., when they were reportedly approached by a stranger, later identified as Max Steiner. The three women were expressing their support for Palestine by writing Free Gaza in the sand when they were confronted by Steiner. He reportedly initiated an argument, vandalized their sand art, and, in an alarming turn of events, allegedly choked the youngest woman, a 13-year-old, as he attempted to grab the phone she was using to record the encounter.
Although the argument was captured on video and shared on TikTok, the physical altercation itself was not recorded. Steiner admitted responsibility for the incident on social media, with the exception of the physical attack.
The victims and their family reported the hate-motivated incident to local law enforcement and have repeatedly expressed their desire to press charges and seek justice for the distressing violence they endured.
In response to this incident, CAIR-SFBA Senior Civil Rights Attorney Jeffrey Wang stated, “This incident seems to be an example of a blatant hate-motivated assault, and the legal system must act swiftly to ensure that justice is served. It is imperative that the Monterey County District Attorney’s office takes this matter seriously and files appropriate charges against the individual responsible. Hate incidents like this have no place in our society.”
CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo added, “Justice delayed is justice denied. This attack happened more than two weeks ago, and these young women’s assailant has yet to be held accountable. The Monterey County DA needs to take action quickly and ensure that alleged hateful people like Steiner, who would attack a group of young women, are not given a blank check to do so in our region.”
CAIR-SFBA stands in solidarity with the family, the Palestinian community, and their allies. We urge the community to remain vigilant, support peaceful expressions of free speech, and report any suspicious or hate-motivated activities to local authorities and CAIR-SFBA. It is only by working together that we can build a society that is free from discrimination, violence, and hate.