Spokane7
62°
April 9, 2010 in City
Attempted robbery called hate crime
Taco truck owner confronted as he was walking home
The owner of this taco truck at Walton Avenue and Division Street was attacked while walking home late on April 1.jesset@spokesman.com
(Full-size photo)
A man accused of trying to rob a Spokane taco truck owner may have targeted the victim because of his race, new court documents allege.
Michael A. Brewer, 22, has been charged under Washington’s hate-crime law after police say he yelled racial slurs while trying to rob Jonas J. Perez-Lopez at knifepoint last week.
Brewer is to be arraigned on charges of attempted first-degree robbery and malicious harassment April 13 in Spokane County Superior Court. He’s being held at Geiger Corrections Center on $7,500 bail after appearing in court this week.
Charging documents filed Monday accused Brewer of targeting Perez-Lopez because of “his perception of the victim’s race, color, (or) national origin.” Brewer declined an interview request.
Brewer and Tyrelle B. Bailey, 25, were arrested April 1 after Perez-Lopez said they attacked him as he walked near his truck counting money. Brewer yelled a racial slur and asked about the cash, then took out a pocketknife and ran toward him, Perez-Lopez told police.
Bailey was released from jail on his own recognizance April 2. He’s charged with first-degree attempted robbery but is not accused of harassing Perez-Lopez because of his race.
Bailey told police of the slurs and “denied any part in the incident,” according to court documents.
Police found a text message Bailey sent from his phone indicating he was about to fight “some Mexicans,” according to court documents, but Perez-Lopez identified Brewer as the man who yelled racial epithets as he approached with a pocketknife.
“I told this guy ‘I don’t want to fight.’ He almost got me right here,” Perez-Lopez said this week, pointing to his arm and neck.
Perez-Lopez said he’s never experienced discrimination in Spokane, where he’s lived for about seven years. He opened the taco truck at Division Street and Walton Avenue, Patty’s Tacos, about a year ago.
He lives just down the block on Walton. He said he’d never seen the men before, and he’s never felt threatened in the area.
Until their arrest, Brewer and Bailey lived about three blocks away on Walton with Brewer’s girlfriend’s mother. Brewer’s girlfriend, Christina Benzie, said her mother kicked the men out after the incident.
“When Michael gets really drunk he’ll open up his mouth and start problems with people,” Benzie said.
Brewer and Bailey arrived home late that night and looked like they’d been running, Benzie said. They said Perez-Lopez tried to run them over with his truck, but Benzie is doubtful.
“We’ve never had problems” with Perez-Lopez, she said. “I don’t see why he would start something.”
Perez-Lopez told police he ran to his home to call 911 after the attempted robbery and followed the suspects down Walton Avenue in a car.
Police seized two pocketknives from Brewer, according to court documents.
Sex trafficking suspects released as probe continues 
lewis8457 on April 09 at 7:57 a.m.
If only he had a taco this would never have happened. The tacos he makes in that truck are the best in town.
MrNatural on April 09 at 9:19 a.m.
Reprint by permission only :)
Shall I compare thee to a Taco Truck?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of beef,
And sour creams lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of jalapeño shines,
And often is his green complexion dimm’d;
And every thief from bum sometime declines,
By chance, or nature’s changing reprobate, untrimm’d;
But thy eternal cheddar cheese shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that spare change thou stealest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his greasy grill,
When in eternal lettuce tortilla shell doth growest;
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives taco, and taco gives life to thee.
misjustice on April 09 at 11:53 a.m.
Hey, hey, hey! The Bard of the SR Blogs is at it again! Thanks for reposting this salubrious sonnet! ; )
Pazzionflower on April 09 at 10:45 p.m.
Once again their is a failure to collect the whole story. Sadly Benzie is lying. I will take the stand and swear under oath that she had no knowledge of what happened until her home was surrounded by Spokane police. She is also fully aware that there had been verbal exchanges between the stated parties before over reckless driving, Benzies motivation is that she stated she would be attempting to take custody of Mike Brewers child and her daughters child for the state funds. Physical evidence has been collected that proves Perez-Lopez attempted to run the two over. Only one pocket knife was seized from Brewer. Bailey once again there is video evidence was holding a gallon of milk purchased at a nearby store. There are two bomb shells that will bring new light on this story as the trial progresses,.
misjustice on April 09 at 11:42 p.m.
Well, instead of posting “evidence” on a blog, perhaps you, pazzionflower, should be talking with SPD??? I’m sure that a detective would be interested in what you have to offer…
Beyond that, I would advise anyone with information regarding a crime that posting said information on a public blog could result in your being called to testify and any comments that you have posted could also be admitted as “evidence”…just sayin…
It sounds a little “telling” to have so much knowledge of an alleged crime…
Pazzionflower on April 09 at 11:53 p.m.
Spokesman read your own story in regards to mr Jonas Perez-Lopez http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=10084
yes i do have inside info. No police are not wiling to listen or investigate, yes am aware of all possibilities and implications, am willing to testify.
it is a lack of journalistic integrity to fail to refer to a suspect or crime as “alleged” until proven in a court of law.
Pazzionflower on April 09 at 11:55 p.m.
Mike often borrowed Ty’s phone too.
misjustice on April 10 at 12:03 a.m.
pazzionflower, does the person you are trying to help have a lawyer? Perhaps you could help by telling the lawyer what it is that you know???
hilariousisback on April 10 at 1:20 a.m.
Wow pazzionflower, so three years ago the victim in this case was peppersprayed by police. What a bombshell. You sure blew this case wide open.
Didn’t you say in an earlier post that Brewer didn’t have a knife? Looks like you changed your mind. What else are you gonna change your mind on?
What_a_melon_im_not_a_felon on March 11 at 11:08 p.m.
If you want the other side of the story please email me and I will tell you tybailey34@gmail.com
Thank you
Tyrelle bailey
Pazzionflower on January 25 at 8:56 p.m.
Ty Bailey was found not guilty! 1. ty’s family is mixed race including a brother who is mexican whose father was an immigrant. 2. alleged crime never happened at a taco truck that was misreported, 3, alleged victim attempted to run down and kill Bailey and brewer and admitted so in court. 4. states witness had to be jailed and compelled to testify and when did so supported the defense. 5. allegeded victim needed interpreters but facebooks in english just fine. 6. Someone relative to the alleged victim sent emails stating the false crime report was made in a bid to gain citizenship through ICE laws. he was here 11 yrs on a 10 yr visa and is not a citizen. this only scratches the surface. Reality is Mr Bailey supports equality for all and opportunities for all our citizens. he would be the first to support anyones rights regardless of diversity. His family is blended of many ethnicities including native, mexican, samoan and african american. and autism. .