Three women who reported a racist attack outside a Texas restaurant say the woman who approached them claimed she “hated Indians” and even began to physically assault one of them.
Real estate agent Esmeralda Upton, 58, was furious after she encountered the group of four Indian women outside the Sixty Vines wine bar in Plano, Texas, on Wednesday night.
Rani Banerjee, Bidisha Rudra and Sabori Saha say they had all just finished eating when the now viral showdown took place.
“I hate these f****** Indians,” Upton says at one point, calling them “f****** curry-a** b****es.”
Banerjee told WFAA the threats weren’t just with words: ‘What was so scary is that she got really close and not only attacked us verbally, but also started attacking us physically. She started hitting me.’
Rani Banerjee (left), Bidisha Rudra (right) and Sabori Saha (center) say they had all just finished eating when the now viral showdown took place
Banerjee told WFAA that the threats weren’t just with words: “What was so scary is that she got really close and not only attacked us verbally, but started attacking us physically. She started hitting me’
Esmeralda Upton, 58, is featured in the viral video hurling abuse at a group of Indian women
At one point, Upton launches herself at the women, punches them and tries to grab their phones
Upton yells at them to ‘stop filming’ – as he continues to scream racist abuse
“I hate these f****** Indians,” Upton says at one point, calling them “f****** curry-ass** b****es”
She added that she immediately started recording her and that she and her friends were “terrified”, while Rudra added that they were “extremely humiliated that could have happened in a place like this”.
Saha claimed that Upton responded to the video by saying ‘stop recording or I’ll blow your head off’.
Rudra said Upton, who identified himself as Mexican-American, told them to “go back where you came from.”
Upton was charged with assault and making terrorist threats and is currently being held on a $10,000 bond.
Rani Banerjee previously said she has lived in the Dallas area for 29 years and “never have I felt so humiliated, threatened and scared for my life.”
The women and a fourth friend were confronted outside the Sixty Vines wine bar in Plano, Texas, on Wednesday night
Rudra said Upton, who self-identified as Mexican-American, told them to “go back where you came from”
Banerjee wants to “see justice done” and “make sure she has the right consequences” when it comes to Upton.
She added: “I can’t believe this is what America has become.”
Authorities in Plano are investigating this incident as a possible hate crime and Upton can face more charges.
It’s unclear why Upton started yelling at the women.
“If it was so great in your country, why did you come here?” says Upton.
One of the women calls the police and Upton jumps to another, grabs her phone and tries to snatch it from her hands.
She tells the police that they were attacked by a white woman in a black dress.
‘No, I’m not white – I’m Mexican. And I paid my damn way here,” Upton replies.
“These f****** Indians, they come to America because they want a better life.
‘I hate these f****** Indians. I am a Mexican American. I was born here. Were you born here? The way you speak.
“Everywhere the fuck I go, you Indians are everywhere the fuck.”
One of the women tells Upton that she is a naturalized citizen, who then mocks Upton.
“You’re a naturalized citizen — you’re not an American born and raised,” she says.
Upton says in the video that she ‘hates Indians’
The four women are terrified when Upton reaches into her bag and urges the police to hurry
Finally, the police arrive and Upton is arrested
At one point during the five-minute encounter, Upton, seemingly realizing she made a mistake, said, “M’am, I’m sorry. You know what, peace.’
The woman refuses to shake her hand, so she replies, “Well – you know what, f*** you.”
As one of the women remains on the phone with the police, growing increasingly anxious and urging them to hurry, Upton says, “I’m not going to hurt you. Look at me, I’m all 100 pounds. And you weigh over 200 pounds.’
She then jumps out at the women again, yelling, “Stop filming me or I’ll break your damn camera.”
The terrified woman on the phone with the police says, ‘Oh my god, she’s reaching into her bag. Please come here quickly!’
The police eventually arrived and Upton was arrested.