The UCLA Police Department said investigators are looking into a possible anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime that targeted a student near campus on Christmas Eve.
This incident happened at 6 pm when a student was walking in the 11000 block of Weyburn Avenue near Westwood Village.
The police said that a black Mercedes convertible with four people inside pulled up next to the student. Officials said one person yelled “a homophobic slur” and another threw “papers” at a pedestrian.
UCLA police did not say what the talk was, and said the investigation is ongoing.
Hate crimes are up 45% in the past year in LA County, according to a county report released this month. 1,350 hate crimes in 2023 – the highest number since the county began counting them in 1980 – fueled by an increase in crimes against LGBTQ+, Jewish and black people.
In 2022, the district identified 930 hate crimes. Before 2023, the highest number – 1,031 – was in 2001. That was the year of the Sept. 11, after which hate crimes increased across the country.
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