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On Thursday, Long Beach woman Lorrene Lake was arrested by California authorities after footage was released of her allegedly making racially charged threats toward her neighbor, Yukatan Everett Mason.
In the videos, Lake can be seen making obscene hand gestures through the camera of the doorway. She also allegedly made a series of violent and racially charged threats.
In another segment of footage, Lake reportedly uses what appears to be some kind of rope or exercise band to block the stairway of the apartment building. Neighbors reported that this kind of behavior was a frequent affair and made them afraid to leave their apartments in case they encountered her.
Fox reported that Lake was arrested from her apartment last Friday at 12.10 am. Officers at the scene alleged that she struggled when confronted, but was eventually detained. She has been charged with 6 felony counts of criminal threats, as well as possession of a firearm violation of civil rights, disobeying a court restraining order, and resisting arrest.
CBS reported that several other neighbors have also complained about Lake's behavior, claiming that she routinely subjects them to racial and verbal abuse.
The Long Beach racial harassment case
In an interview with Fox LA, Yukatan Everett Mason opened up about the reported verbal abuse he has experienced since moving into the apartment complex in December. He specified that besides his interactions with Lorrene Lake, his time in the Long Beach community has been pleasant.
He said:
"It feels like I'm living in [a time] 100 years ago. It's horrible. Her place is right there [underneath his unit]. I have to go up those stairs to get to my place every single day. Every day I'm praying to God this isn't the day she just decides to blast me through this window, and I'm dead."
Mason said that the abuse became so frequent that he began to regularly record interactions with Lake, realizing that he could use the footage not only for a potential case but also for his safety.
He said:
"It got to the place where I didn't go in or out of my place without recording on my phone just in case this is the day that I do die. At least there's some footage of it. Who wants to live like that?"
An official statement by the Long Beach Police Department revealed that Lake is a repeat offender, having been arrested for a similar incident in July. However, despite a restraining order against her, she was unperturbed and supposedly continued harassing her neighbors.
The statement read:
"Upon arrival, officers contacted the calling party who stated one of the residents in the complex, an adult female suspect, was in violation of her restraining order."
The statement continued:
"During their investigation, officers discovered that the suspect was in possession of an inoperable firearm, which was subsequently recovered by officers. The suspect was arrested and transported to Long Beach City jail for booking."
According to KTLA, Lorrene Lake may face an apartment-wide restraining order because the alleged harassment has gone on for approximately three months.
