Man found guilty of hate crime for punching African American man at Whole Foods in Laguna Beach

A San Clemente man was found guilty Thursday of a hate crime for  assaulting an African American man while he was working at a Whole Foods grocery store in Laguna Beach.

Fernando Ramirez, 23, was convicted of one felony count of battery resulting in serious bodily injury with a sentencing enhancement for committing a hate crime, as well as a misdemeanor count of violating a person’s civil rights, court records show.

He faces a possible maximum sentence of eight years in prison.

Ramirez had no prior relationship to the man he attacked, Orange County District Attorney’s officials said in a news release. The 26-year-old victim was working at Whole Foods Market in Laguna Beach on June 15, when his assailant approached him from behind and punched him in the face. The attacker went on a racially charged rant following his arrest, prosecutors said.

“Hate does not belong in Orange County,” District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement. “If you commit a crime motivated by hate, I can promise you the Orange County District Attorney’s Office will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”

The man who was punched suffered a broken nose and severe damage to his front teeth, OCDA officials said.

Ramirez is scheduled to appear for a sentencing hearing on Dec.13. He had previously been sentenced to two years in state prison for his role in a separate, 2014 gang-related assault.