A 19-year-old woman whose family emigrated from Mexico says she was the target of harassment while she was exercising last Thursday.
Jessica Diaz said she was out for a run along North Wyandotte Street in the morning when a man pulled up next to her.
"He rolls down his window, he looks at me, and tells me 'I didn't know there was any illegals living in this neighborhood'," she explained. "He then spat on my face and told me to go back to my country."
The incident last Thursday left Diaz shocked and saddened moments after it happened.
"I just stood there. I couldn't believe it had just happened to me," she said. "I walked back home and I cried. That's all I could do."
Diaz and her family emigrated from Mexico over 10 years ago after a hurricane devastated Cancun, their hometown.
She told 41 Action News that her parents moved to America in hopes of providing a better life for their children.
Now covered under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) federal policy, Diaz holds multiple jobs to help support her family.
However, her mother and father are still considered illegal immigrants.
Diaz told 41 Action News that after last week's incident, her family has been fearful.
"We can barely have a conversation without any of us starting to cry," she said.
Days after the alleged racial harassment, Diaz said she wonders what made the man do what he did.
"Thursday was an eye opener because now I know that racism is still a thing," she explained. "Seeing the hate in his eyes. How can somebody hate somebody that you don't even know?"
Despite her parents being in the country illegally, Diaz said she felt it was important that she speak up about what happened.
"Just because I'm not technically a US citizen doesn't make me any less of a person," she said. "Things like (last week's alleged incident) I believe happen all the time, but people never speak up because they're scared to get deported."
Diaz spoke with police about the alleged racial harassment.
She described the alleged suspect as an older white male with white hair, blue eyes, and a white beard.
Diaz told police that the man was driving an old navy blue Dodge Ram with missing rims.
Aside from justice, Diaz hopes understanding can come from her case.
"Without seeing beyond the color of the skin and without seeing beyond stereotypes, we'll never get anywhere," she said.
Anyone with possible information on the case is asked to call 816-474-TIPS.
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