An LA County Employee Has Been Arrested For Hate Crimes

By Sean Beckner-Carmitchel

A County Employee Has Been Arrested For Hate Crimes

LOS ANGELES – An employee at Los Angeles County Counsel has been arrested and charged with felony hate crimes after sending death threats to an Asian co-worker. The suspect, Bhavin Patel, is accused of breaking into the County Hall of Administration and leaving threatening messages. Patel faces a maximum sentence of 13 years and four months in state prison if found guilty.

_{Nathan Hochman, Los Angeles District Attorney, answers questions at a town hall in East Los Angeles. Photo: Sean Beckner-Carmitchel}

Patel is accused of burglarizing the County Hall of Administration three times. Documents claim that once in the building he placed death threats and hate messages on a co-worker’s desk as well as nearby cubicles. According to a warrant for Patel’s arrest, the threats made were “so unequivocal, unconditional, immediate and specific as to convey to [the alleged victim’s] gravity of purpose and an immediate prospect of execution.”

The Ten Four does not usually name the victims of hate crimes.

In a statement, County Counsel Dawyn Harrison said that “The Office of County Counsel, and the County as a whole, have zero tolerance for harassment of any kind and hate crimes are particularly heinous. We work to create an environment of safety and belonging for all of our employees.” The statement continues, “as soon as we learned of these hateful acts, we reached out to the Sheriff’s Department to help investigate and identify the perpetrator, while offering support to those maliciously targeted.”

The Office of the County Counsel is one of the largest municipal civil law offices in the country. It provides legal advice to the Board of Supervisors, County departments, and other County entities.

Patel only worked as a County Counsel for three weeks, according to a statement from County Counsel. Patel worked as an entry-level legal office support assistant and had recently transferred from the county’s Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).

Patel worked for two years as a clerk for the DCFS. The Ten Four reached out for comment to DCFS. As a “standing practice,” DCFS does not comment on personnel matters.

“My office has no tolerance for acts of hate, which terrorize victims and send waves of fear throughout our county’s diverse communities,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said. “Everyone deserves a safe workplace and no one deserves to be vilified for their race or ethnicity. I commend the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for working swiftly and thoroughly on this case. We will do everything we can to seek justice for the victim and ensure their safety.”

“The Office of County Counsel, and the County as a whole, have zero tolerance for harassment of any kind and hate crimes are particularly heinous. We work to create an environment of safety and belonging for all of our employees,” County Counsel Dawyn Harrison said. “As soon as we learned of these hateful acts, we reached out to the Sheriff’s Department to help investigate and identify the perpetrator, while offering support to those maliciously targeted.”

Bhavin Patel was charged with three felony counts each of criminal threats, second-degree burglary and violation of civil rights.