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LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. () — A wedding proposal in Laguna Beach has gone viral after a woman confronted a camera crew preparing to photograph the moment and made racist comments that were captured on video.
The incident happened Friday at Crescent Bay Point Park, where Emmanuel Banuelos had organized flowers and a mariachi band before proposing to his girlfriend, Hayley Lugo.
Video from the encounter shows a woman addressing the camera crew and telling them to “Go back to Mexico.”
Trinity Lugo of Trinity Films, who was photographing the proposal and is Hayley Lugo’s sister, said she was shocked by the encounter.
“I could not believe that I was being told those words. At first I thought, you know, she was just a normal Karen,” Lugo said.
Lugo said she chose not to escalate the situation because she did not want to disrupt the occasion.
“It was a really special moment. That’s part of the reason that I really didn’t want to escalate the situation further,” she said.
According to those involved, Lugo had set up her camera before the couple arrived when a woman walking her dog approached and complained about the setup.
Video captured the exchange, including the woman saying she had called police and was frustrated by what she described as recurring events at the location.
As mariachi music began playing, the woman made additional remarks, including, “This isn’t Mexico either you [explicit]” and “Go back to Mexico!”
Banuelos said he selected the oceanfront lookout for the proposal and included mariachi music because of Hayley Lugo’s appreciation for it.
“She, in fact, loves mariachi so I really wanted it there. She’s fallen in love with it,” Banuelos said.
Hayley Lugo said she became aware of the confrontation and was later stunned when she watched the video, which has since spread widely online.
“It hurts a lot because it’s not just us there. She’s being mean to the whole Mexican culture, the whole Hispanic culture, like everyone’s felt it,” she said.
Despite the incident, the couple said they have not allowed the comments to overshadow their engagement and hope the viral video sparks reflection.
“You can’t be doing this anymore. Like it’s not right. You never know like if you’re going to be in the next viral moment, like if you could take anything from this, you do not want to be this lady,” Hayley Lugo said.
In a statement, the city of Laguna Beach said pre-planned setups and professional photography are subject to specific rules and permit requirements. The city also said it rejects the hateful language and behavior shown in the video.
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