A confrontation in Santa Clarita, California, escalated when a woman was captured on video directing a racist tirade at her neighbor. The incident, which occurred near Sheffield and Oxford streets, was recorded by the neighbor who stated she was driving home when the other woman began shouting profanities.
The woman, identified by online users as Elaine LaForge, is seen in the video using racial stereotypes and telling the other driver to leave the country. "Why don’t you go back to Asia? Go back to Asia and ride a rickshaw," LaForge is heard saying in the footage. The driver who recorded the video stated that LaForge had sped past her, then pulled in front of her and drove toward her home, exhibiting erratic driving behavior such as braking in the middle of the street.
According to the person who filmed the encounter, LaForge also used her fingers to mimic “Asian eyes” before the recording began. The filmer warned LaForge that she lived in the neighborhood and had a picture of her license plate.
The video was shared with Instagram creator Michael McWhorter, who posted it to his account. Residents and community members in Santa Clarita expressed outrage over the incident. McWhorter, who regularly posts neighborhood confrontation videos, called the behavior "unacceptable."
One woman, who identified LaForge, expressed hope that her family would intervene. She also commented on the increasing diversity of Santa Clarita, noting that such incidents negatively impact the community's image. The woman running the Instagram account RiseUpSCV emphasized the need for the community to improve and learn from such occurrences.