Cupertino man facing hate crime charges after assaulting store clerk and leveling threat toward a deputy

A Cupertino, Calif., man is behind bars and facing felony hate crime and assault charges after attacking a clerk at a phone store and threatening a deputy, according to KTVU.

Prosecutors in Santa Clara County, Calif., allege 61-year-old Clifford Ray Stewart "attacked a worker at a mobile phone store after they simply tried to recover a sign that the man had vandalized."

The incident reportedly took place on June 1 at T-Mobile store location. Stewart is said to have threatened the store workers when they came outside to retrieve their sign. He allegedly attacked one but threatened them both based on their race, per KTVU.

Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen has shared details about what transpired that day.

"Two employees from the store, one a Hispanic female and the other an Asian man, went to retrieve the sign and the defendant then began yelling and screaming at both of them – telling them to go back to where they came from and calling them ethnic slurs," said Jeff Rosen.

Prosecutors also said Stewart allegedly spewed "(expletive) Chinese, you don't belong here," and "stupid Mexicans."

According to Rosen, that is when the incident escalated to violence. "Then he attacked the Hispanic woman, kicked her in the stomach, punched her in the face," Rosen said. "She temporarily lost her vision. She was taken to the hospital."

Stewart fled the scene of the incident and headed to another store but was soon apprehended by police. During his encounter with police, prosecutors say he "verbally abused the arresting deputy calling him racial epithets and allegedly threatened to kill him."

He said, "All you piece of (expletive) people sneak into this country, have a baby, and get a free apartment," according to the District Attorney's Office.

Stewart's case comes as the state combats a disturbing uptick in hate crime-related cases. Rosen has made it clear that such behavior is unacceptable.

"It is wrong," Rosen said. "I am here because this is a very diverse community that we live in and, for the most part, people get along and are respectful of one another. But we have had some outliers and these individuals have to be held accountable for what they did."

While Rosen also noted that it is rare for an incarcerated suspect to refuse to be transported court, he also insisted that there are alternative options to move the case forward, if needed.

A new judge-ordered hearing has been scheduled for Monday, June 6. Stewart is still in custody and will continue to be held without bail.