Angelica Marie Mendez, 23, was arrested for falsely accusing a white family of sexually assaulting and abusing their black, adopted daughter
A Hispanic woman who sparked outrage on social media after posting a video accusing a white family of sexually abusing their black, adopted child has been arrested for allegedly filing a false police report.
Angelica Marie Mendez, 23, of Desert Hot Springs, was charged on Saturday after officials in two states found that her video was a hoax and she 'weaponized' social media by spreading false information about an innocent family.
She was released the same day of her arrest after posting $25 bail, according to inmate records.
Mendez is seen in the video filming the family at a Costco in Palm Desert. 'So this family, they're not feeding their adopted child,' she says. 'She's crying. They're being racist towards their daughter. We need to expose these people, this family.'
She adds that the white family is 'disowning her' and 'probably using her as a slave.' Mendez concludes the video by saying that she called 911 on the family. She says, 'I'm not about to watch this go by. That is very rude and very disgusting of these people.' Police didn't arrive at the scene, but Mendez later filed a police report.
In her posts, which have since been deleted, Mendez said the black girl seemed sad so she approached her to ask what was wrong. She claimed that the girl 'begged for help' and said her parents raped and abused her.
The viral posts gained traction on social media and some users identified the girl and her family by name and publicized their home address. They also found the father's workplace and included a phone number to call so they could 'save' the girl.
DailyMail.com is declining to publish the video as it's been proven a hoax, but the two images below depict what Mendez saw that day in Costco.
She filmed the family at a Costco in Palm Desert and said they were 'disowning her' and 'probably using her as a slave'
The viral posts gained traction on social media and some users identified the girl and her family by name and publicized their home address
