A San Jose woman, identified by the California Post as Lindsay Hansen, 47, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of stalking and hate crimes following an incident captured in a viral video. Automated license plate readers identified her vehicle, leading to her apprehension by San Jose police.
The arrest is connected to an encounter where Hansen allegedly drove around and berated a San Jose father walking with his child, making discriminatory remarks. Police stated that Hansen was also linked to a series of other incidents in the city, including one at a San Jose high school.
Hansen was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail with bail set at $10,000. Her arrest followed an investigation by the SJPD Assaults Unit.
Social media posts attributed to Hansen revealed a pattern of behavior that included controversial and antisemitic remarks, and claims of being involved in identifying pedophiles. Court documents from May 2022 indicated that a psychiatrist diagnosed Hansen with symptoms consistent with bipolar disorder and a manic episode with psychotic features, including delusions, auditory hallucinations, and paranoia. The psychiatrist noted that Hansen believed it was her job to "drive around and ID pedophiles."
The viral video depicted Hansen, from her car, accusing the father of sex trafficking his child, citing their differing racial backgrounds as a reason for her suspicion. The father, who posted the video, described himself as having a brown complexion and his daughter as half-white, and stated that Hansen had harassed them on multiple occasions.
San Jose police confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and asked for anyone with information to contact the SJPD Assaults Unit.