Iranian-American Group Demands Hate Crime Investigation in Fatal Stabbing
The largest Iranian-American organization in the United States is calling for prosecutors to investigate the California murder of a college student earlier this month as a hate crime.
Craig Tanber, a white supremacist gang member released from prison in June for involvement in a 2004 gang beating death, was charged Tuesday in Orange County with first-degree murder in the death of Shayan Mazroei, a 22-year-old engineering student.
Mazroei was fatally stabbed on Sept. 7 near Patsy鈥檚 Irish Pub in Laguna Niguel, Calif., where he had been playing pool.
Tanber, described by authorities as 鈥渁 documented gang member with a significant criminal history,鈥� fled the scene but was arrested last week by a SWAT team at a Motel 6 in Westminster, Calif.
Yesterday, the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) issued a demanding that Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas investigate the case as a hate crime, calling the murder a 鈥渄espicable act of violence鈥� allegedly perpetrated by a member of a white supremacist gang.
The Orange County prosecutor鈥檚 office says the investigation is on-going.
鈥淲e urge California prosecutors to take motive into consideration in this sensitive and tragic case,鈥� the NIAC statement said. 鈥淭his crime was a brutal act of violence against a member of our shared Iranian-American community.鈥�
鈥淚f [the murder] was indeed motivated by Shayan鈥檚 ethnic background or skin color, it was an attack against the universal values and principles we all hold dear 鈥� tolerance, respect, and dignity for all of humanity 鈥� and it should be prosecuted as a hate crime,鈥� the nation鈥檚 largest Iranian-American organization said.
A Change.org calling for the case to be handled as a hate crime has collected almost 3,100 signatures.
鈥淭his wasn't supposed to happen,鈥� the victim鈥檚 girlfriend, Madilyn Legaard, told at a vigil last weekend. 鈥淚t was a racist act.鈥�
