An armed robber wearing a “Day of the Dead”-type mask, who held up a Wells Fargo Bank, may be charged with cultural appropriation, in addition to bank robbery.
According to a press release by the Santa Monica Police Department, on Sept. 10, a man wearing a hooded sweatshirt, gloves, and a skull mask similar to one that represents the Mexican holiday, entered a Wells Fargo location in the beachside Los Angeles suburb.
Holding a shotgun, the man demanded cash in amounts varying between $3,000 and $5,000, and ran, jumping an 8-foot fence outside. According to the Santa Monica Observer, a witness said the robber jumped into a red SUV waiting in an alley.
Eighty police officers from neighboring towns Beverly Hills and Inglewood and from Los Angles county, including the sheriff’s department, also responded to the scene, reported the Santa Monica Observer.
No one was injured in the robbery. Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) are searching for the suspect, who is also wanted for bank robbery and assault.
F1 for effort
Trump says he’ll hold UFC fight on White House grounds for Nation’s 250th birthday
North Korea lashes out after Trump DOJ exposes massive IT infiltration scheme
NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani identified as Black, Asian on Columbia application: report
Trump takes ‘big, beautiful’ victory lap in Iowa
ICE director says progressive Dem should apologize to voters after calling agency a ‘terrorist force’
Outrage Erupts After Hacked Data Shows Mamdani Identified as ‘Black or African American’ on College Application
Trump says economy will ‘rocket’ after signing ‘big beautiful bill’: ‘It’s going to be really great’
Twice-deported Honduran fugitive caught hiding on American soil
Saudi defense minister secretly meets with Trump to discuss Iran de-escalation, Israel: sources
Trump administration scores win as Supreme Court approves deportations to third countries
Supreme Court backs Trump bid to deport criminals to South Sudan
Scoop: Ramaswamy pledges to spend at least $30M of his money in Ohio’s race for governor
US Teen Detained After Landing Plane in Antarctica, Accused of Violating ‘Multiple National and International Regulations’
Hakeem Jeffries Breaks House Record, Still Fails to Stop ‘Big Beautiful Bill’
A representative of the Santa Monica Police Department did not respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s request for comment. “Use of a Day of the Dead Mask during a robbery can be a separate offense or an enhancement, under the California Penal Code,” a police spokesperson said in a press release, per the Observer. “In this case, the suspect is sought for violating the rights of indigenous peoples, and for bank robbery.”
A spokesperson from Wells Fargo tells Yahoo Lifestyle, “We are working with law enforcement and are unable to provide more details as this is an ongoing criminal investigation. Wells Fargo values and promotes diversity and inclusion in all aspects of business at all levels. We do not tolerate racism, cultural appropriation or discrimination of any kind.”
The Day of Dead, a holiday that lasts between October 31 and November 2, is a celebratory period for Mexican people to honor those who have passed on. Toy company Mattel is currently selling a “Barbie Día de Muertos” (retail price: $75) that some reportedly tweeted appropriated Mexican culture.
Story cited here.
