Transient Accused of Hate Crime in Attack on Middle Eastern Smoke Shop Manager

A man is looking at up to seven years in state prison for allegedly hurling a 32-ounce cup of soda and white supremacist comments at a Middle Eastern smoke shop manager in Anaheim.

Robert Kevin Pressler, a 54-year-old transient, is due in the North Justice Center in Fullerton on Monday to answer to charges of felony battery-hate crime causing injury and misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance.

The Orange County District Attorney’s office provided this account:

On May 2, Pressler is accused of standing outside of a smoke shop in Anaheim and repeatedly yelling a phrase associated with white supremacy at the store manager, who is Middle Eastern. As the manager approached the front entrance of his store, Pressler allegedly walked in that direction and threw a full 32-ounce soda cup.

The cup hit the manager’s face, causing a small laceration and the start of an altercation that ended with Pressler calling the Anaheim Police Department.

But officers who responded arrested Pressler, who was allegedly holding methamphetamine.

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