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The sleepy town of Rialto, California is now on the national map after an alleged racial incident turned into a viral discussion across social media. A group of Black filmmakers had the cops called on them at an Airbnb property by a neighbor, one of who is the granddaughter of the late Bob Marley.
CBS Los Angeles originally reported:
A group of filmmakers says it was swarmed by police after leaving an Airbnb rental in Rialto after a neighbor reported a possible burglary in progress. The filmmakers, three of whom are black, say they were racially profiled.
The incident happened on April 30 shortly after 12:30 p.m. in the 2600 block of West Loma Vista Drive.
Police say a neighbor identified a group of people taking suitcases from the home and loading them into a car. The woman who called the police said she did not recognize the car or the group of people.
Airbnb host Marie Rodriguez said her neighbor called police because she didn’t know the home had been rented.
However, Donisha Prendergast, who is one of reggae legend Bob Marley’s granddaughters, had been staying at the Airbnb while attending a music festival in San Bernardino.
Prendergast shared her experience via a Facebook post claiming that cops demanded them to put their hands in the air and that they were told that a helicopter was in the area tracking their movements.
Local outlet the San Bernardino Sun spoke with the owner of the Airbnb home, who asserted that the neighbor’s call wasn’t about race. She said that it was their rudeness and behavior that prompted the neighbor to call the cops. The police in the matter claim they treated the group respectfully.
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Photo: Getty
