TikTok ‘Karen’ Sentenced After Racist Pizza Shop Meltdown

My father was a World War II veteran. Okay. He his friends and family died. Sit here right now and make money. >> This is our first Karen. Oh my god. >> Oh my god. >> A woman's tantrum inside of a. Pennsylvania pizzeria ended up being. seen by thousands and thousands of. people online. And her racist tirade, well, that backfired. She ended up in. front of a judge and the pizza shop. became the target of a very different.

kind of hometown hospitality. Welcome to. Sidebar presented by Law and Crime. I'm. Jesse Weber. Hey everybody, this is another Law and. Crime legal alert. If you received. Depropa birth control shots and were. later diagnosed with a brain or spinal. tumor called meningioma, you may be. eligible for a lawsuit. That's right. Morgan and Morgan is investigating. claims that patients weren't properly. warned about this risk. It's free to. check, just takes a few minutes, and you. don't pay unless they win. So, scan the.

QR code on screen, click the link below, or go to forthepeople.com/lcdepo. to see if you qualify. >> I've been in 55 years. You're out of business. >> Yeah, you are. I've been in hacker for. 55 years and my grandmother. >> and my grandmother before that. So you. can actually say 200 years. You want to. have Spanish on your TV.

>> What's wrong with that? >> What's wrong with that? Cuz you're not. American, dude. >> I will look you the up and get you out. of our town. Okay. You give me my money back. I'm not. giving my money to some illegal. immigrant. >> Well, what started out as a simple pizza. pickup, what maybe should have been a. simple pizza pickup, quickly escalated. into this fullblown meltdown out in. Pennsylvania. A video of Rita Blue went.

viral in 2023, and we wanted to know. what happened after this Tik Tok. confrontation ended. Well, to talk about. this wild video and the consequences. that Belaloo ended up facing, I want to. bring in Pennsylvania attorney Enrique. Latoyen. Uh, Enrique, thanks so much for. coming here on Sidebar. Appreciate you. uh taking the time. >> Yeah, thank you for having me. >> Now, we've only played a portion of this. video so far, but what's your reaction? Did you see it when it initially went.

viral in February of 2023? >> I mean, everyone heard about this video. I mean, because it did go viral and here. in the Philadelphia area, it basically. went to all the news outlets, including. uh print and and media. So, yes, I did. hear about it and it was pretty. disturbing at the time I heard it. Um, definitely getting the unedited clip. that uh you guys have provided has given. me even um actually even a worse view of. the video than originally than when I. first saw the video. >> Yeah. And we're going to edit it for our. audience obviously. We're going to bleep.

it out, I should say, uh, cuz it's. really quite vile what's being said. But. let's get into it. So, according to the. owner of Amy's Family Pizzeria in. Hatboro, Pennsylvania, which is still. open for business, by the way, according. to Google, then 55-year-old Rita Belaloo. ordered food, but became irate when she. realized that the soccer game on TV. inside the restaurant was being. broadcast in Spanish. Oh my gosh. This. Tik Tocker using the screen name Kelly.

Flores 765 started recording this rant. that followed. Take a look. >> You're in America. You're supposed to. learn English. You got Well, then you. got Spanish on your TV. That's to. Americans, dude. My father was a World. War II veteran. Okay. He his friends and. family died. You're going to sit here. right now and make money and you're. going to do this kind of spend.

>> Give me my money back right now. I want. my money back. Okay. >> You don't understand. You're too young. to have any kind of respect. >> No, you don't. You don't understand. You're an ignorant is what you are. You're an ignoramus. I. You're young and you're still. >> Give me a crowd. I want your food. I. want a credit for my money right now. I'm not going to give you. >> and believe me, I will check it. Okay, >> Enrique, it is so disturbing and. upsetting on so many levels and just.

such an overreaction to what the the. TV's in Spanish. I mean, I can't. understand the motivation here, but. unfortunately, I have to tell you, I. feel like it's every week, every month, I'm seeing more and more incidents like. this happening in public locations that. go viral. No. >> Yes. And you know the most interesting. thing to start off with is the number. one sport in the world is soccer which. they call football. And of course in. America the number one sport is uh. football NFL you know people watch on.

Sundays and you know college football. but you kind of expect for the most part. when the number one sport in the entire. world is soccer which they call football. is I don't know how many times I've seen. uh soccer being um played in a different. type of language. I mean, this is a. universal sport that's played across the. world. So, the idea that you come in and. you see a universal sport, number one. sport in the world, being displayed or. being uh televised in Spanish, and you. have a problem with that is just. mindblowing. And you know, unfortunately.

in these days, we're living with a type. of certain individuals that feel. empowered. They feel emboldened to walk. around as some sort of sort of the. police or or ICE or whatever they think. they are and to be able to walk around. with this entitlement power that they. believe they have to threaten people. And you know, you look at this case, this guy is uh running a restaurant. Um, all reports have talked about what a. good um business they run and they're a.

friend to to to the neighbors and the. police department and everyone uh. supports this business and she comes in. and just completely annihilates this guy. because he's watching a universal sport. in a Spanish. >> But are are aren't you seeing am I wrong. or it feels like everybody's on edge. Everybody's getting angry. Everybody's. having into blowups and a lot of it's. being caught on these viral videos. This. is not 20 years ago. This is not 30. Everybody's got a phone. Everybody can. document something. So whether it's.

public humiliation, ridicule, consequences you face in your career. There's also legal consequences. And it. just to me it it seems Are you covering. a lot of cases? Are you handling a lot. of cases where just people blow up at. the slightest thing? We just had a case. recently in Delaware County um just. recently where uh it looked like it was. going to be some sort of road rage. situation between an owner of a uh body. shop um and the um the person driving.

the car was an African-American woman. and this went viral and it's very very. similar to this situation like very very. similar but in this situation um the. Caucasian male was the actual owner of. of the body shop and the uh the African. American female was just somebody that. was uh I guess was in his way or. something and he went crazy. And I think. that you know what you're dealing with. is individuals that believe that they. carry some sort of authority and some. sort of power. And you can believe that.

when she's saying at the time when she's. saying things like, "I'm going to get. you locked up and I'm going to do all. these things in her head. I don't know. what she's been watching or what she's. been reading, but she believes the. police are going to show up and lock. this guy up and throw him out of town. because he's watching soccer with uh uh. Spanish speaking. Makes no sense. whatsoever. >> Now, I mentioned the video, right? So, at one point during this video, uh Rita. Blue realizes that someone apparently. one of the employees is recording on her. phone.

>> and she's videotaping me. Yeah. >> Cuz you're racist. You're racist. You. are. You're a victim. You're a racist. You're a victim. I'm not a victim. You're a victim. No, I'm an American. >> No, you're a racist. You're a racist. victim. You're a victim. You're the. racist. >> No, I'm not racist. I'm not over here. trying to get my money back because. you're shopping at a pizza shop. >> I'm just asking my money back. >> You're the racist. I can do this with my. phone, too. >> I can do the same thing.

>> Show everybody that you're racist. >> You're the You're the race. I'm going to. film you right now. And I got 4,000. followers. >> This is our first Karen. Oh my god. >> Oh my god. >> 4,000 followers. Now, once Beloo starts. recording her own video, her story changes. Yet, instead of being. upset over immigration and what's. playing on the television in the local. pizza shop, she switches to saying that. the restaurant refuses to give her a. refund. Everyone,

>> I would like a refund because you all. >> you're I'm at Amy's. and I am being bullied by these people. >> Bullied. >> Yeah, I'm being bullied by these people. at Amy's. >> I love every single video. >> Because I am white. They are videotaping. me. >> I'm white. >> They are videotaping me because I am. white. See them? They're calling me a. racist because I am white. >> No, no, no. They're calling you a racist.

because you're racist. >> I am not Mrs. Blue Hair. I am not. racist. >> I am not racist. You know your color. >> I am at Amy's in Cabaro and I am being. videotaped because I am white and they. want to call me racist. I am simply asking for a refund because. their food their food is terrible.

>> You said that you want a refund because. you played Spanish on a TV. I want a. refund on my credit card. >> I want a refund on my credit card. So. therefore, I am racist. I'm at Amy's in. Hatboro, Pennsylvania. I want a refund on my credit card and. they are calling me racist because I am. white and none of them are white. >> And she started videotaping me. I asked.

you why aren't you giving me a refund on. my credit card? Why aren't you Why won't. you do it? I asked you 15 minutes ago to. give me a credit on my credit card. Why. aren't you doing it? Why aren't you. giving me a credit on my credit card? Why? I don't want your food. I don't. want your food. Why won't you give me. your credit on my credit card? You're. calling me racist because I am white.

Why? I'm waiting. I got my card right. here. >> All right. >> Right here. Right here. >> Going on. >> Hi. >> Hi. >> I know you. >> H. Now, the video abruptly cuts off. likely when police arrive to that. response disturbance call to 911. Uh, Enrique, here's the thing. Isn't it so. interesting that she switches her. complaint, right? She immediately goes. to the idea the food's terrible. The.

food's terrible as soon as she knows. she's being filmed. Right. That's isn't. not necessarily the same thing, but is. that consciousness of guilt what we call. in the law? I would think that what she started to. do at that point was more scary than. what she did the first time. Okay? Because now what she's doing is she's. basically creating a false report. She's. creating a false narrative, a false. story, and she's basically trying to. take this guy out of business at this. point by basically saying this is I'm. just an innocent person that wanted a.

refund and these people are stealing my. money and they're calling me a racist. and I'm a good person. This is what you. call another sense of entitlement. When. folks do these kind of things, they. actually believe that they then can. control the story. When the police show. up, they're the ones out front telling. the police, "Oh, let me tell you what. happened. Let me tell you what really. would happen here. Don't listen to this. person. Listen to me." So, what you do. what she's doing here is she does what. she does the first time. She threatens. to have him locked up and and put out of. business. Then, when she realized she's.

being recorded, she says, "My. entitlement allows me to now change the. version of the story of what happened. and now I'm the victim." It is. completely scary. If no one had the. first video, this guy might have been. put out of business and being blamed for. not refunding someone's money for bad. food and then calling that person a. racist. And unfortunately, in today's. times, she might have been bullied. Now, she wasn't arrested or anything. like that at the restaurant, but the. Hapa police, they saw the video that the.

employee recorded, and because of the. racially fueled and profane remarks, she. was charged via summons with ethnic. intimidation and harassment. Enrique, what is that? >> That is basically, so let me let me say. this and be very clear. In America, you're allowed to argue with people. In. America, you're allowed to call people. names. and is you have a first amendment. right to do so. And the statute in. Pennsylvania does not attempt to say. that people can't argue or people can't. call each other names. You're allowed to.

do all those things. What you're not. allowed to do is do that because of. someone's race or religion or background. or some other thing. Now, that's. different. That's what is crossing the. line. If I want to call someone a clown, you can call them a clown. if you want. to call them a clown because of their. color or their race or their religion, well, now Pennsylvania draws the line. and says that's intimidation and that's. not allowed and that's a misdemeanor in. Pennsylvania. So, the fact that she was, you know, arguing with someone, that's. not what the behavior is. You're allowed.

to argue with people. You're allowed to. express you don't like something or she. could have looked up and been like, I. don't like this uh you know, I don't. like this because it's in Spanish. Yeah, she would have sounded like a bigot, but. she could have got away with that. When. she started saying, "I'm gonna get you. locked up. I'm gonna make sure you get. put out of business." And started doing. all these things and everything she was. doing, she was tying it to his being. Hispanic. You're an immigrant. I'm going. to get you uh uh deported. All of this. is tied to his background, his ethnic.

That at that point, you crossed the line. and now you're committing a crime. She. would have just stuck with, "I hate. soccer." Or, "I hate your food. Your. food sucks." or anything of that, she. would have been fine. But you can't just. do something because of someone's. background. And clearly when she saw. they were speaking in Spanish, that's. when it all started. >> You know, once she went to the second. part, when she then claimed a different. story, she didn't mention any of that. because that is her consciousness of. guilt. And that is her knowing, oh,

well, I don't want to talk about the. fact I attacked him because he was. Hispanic. Well, according to NBC uh. Philadelphia, that initial charge was. dropped and it was replaced with. harassment. Harassment, a course of. conduct with no legitimate purpose. That's an interesting charge. Why did. they drop the ethnic intimidation? Why. did they settle on this harassment. charge? And what does that mean? I mean, I think you pretty much explained it, but why do you think they drop the. initial uh you know, the ethnic. intimidation and move to this one? >> So, the harassment summary charge in.

Pennsylvania has a maximum penalty of 3. months in jail. Yet, I've never seen. anyone in 20 plus years of practice ever. go to prison for harassment. Harassment. is you harassing someone in the state of. Pennsylvania for no no purpose. whatsoever. And it does involve cussing. and things of that nature. Harassment. also tiptoes along the line of first. amendment right to be able to say what. you want and to argue with people. It. typically becomes when you are doing it. in a way where it's kind of one-sided. That's kind of when the summary.

harassment is charged. Now, in every. state, in every jurisdiction, things are. pled things are pled down and they're. also done with the permission of the. victim. And in this particular case, the. victim in this case was happy with the. with the outpouring that he received. from from all the other businesses and. all the people and the police department. and everyone else. And he was fine with. getting an apology, which was part of. what she had to do. She had to. apologize. She also apologized publicly. And I think at that point, you know,

this business owner was taking the. higher road and was okay with a lesser. charge and was okay with putting this. all to bed. >> Now, Belaloo herself did respond to the. outrage. She spoke with the Philadelphia. Inquirer, telling the reporter, quote, "I'm profoundly sorry. I don't I don't. want to make excuses. Whatever happened. in there was a combination of. everything. It was a pressure cooker.". Now, in December of 2023, this was. months after what could be her worst. moment went viral, she entered a guilty.

plea to that harassment charge, and. court paperwork listed the requirements. of her sentence, which includes 90 days. of probation, 8 hours of community. service. She was required to stay away. from Amy's family pizzeria, and then in. all caps at the bottom, written apology. to victim and staff of restaurant. That. seems like the best resolution, Enrique. No, >> I mean it does because at the end of the. day, this piece of shop is still going. to be operating in that community. And. this piece of shop is, you know,

unfortunately or fortunately, however. way you want to look at it, it happens a. lot in these types of cases is that the. victim ends up taking the higher road. and just basically saying, you know, they didn't want to be abused. They. didn't want to be treated in that way. And they show grace. And I've seen this. happen in and I've seen this happen in. the past and we're probably going to see. it happen again because the end of the. day, the person is being victimized in. these types of situation wants to be. okay. They want to be left alone and. they normally want to forgive and and.

and if the person on the other side is. showing an apology and is saying they're. sorry, you know, they normally don't. want to b they want to bury that hatchet. and move on because at the end of the. day, we all have to live together. We. all got to be in the same in the same. world together. And you know, one less. uh fight that's going on is better for. all of us. And she has apologized. And. no matter what, whenever someone Googles. her name, they're going to find this. I. mean, it's never going to go away. >> Well, here's the problem. Okay, this. isn't quite the end of the story because.

after this, both good and bad things. happened as a result of this rant going. viral. So, first the bad. According to. Hapo police, internet sloohs were. determined to find out who the woman was. and instead they ended up doxing at. least three totally innocent women. In a. release, police said it has also come to. the attention of the police department. that the video of the incident is. circulating on social media and some. people have falsely identified the woman. depicted in the video. We strongly. suggest people cease and desist the.

attachment of false or mistaken names. and identities to this video as the. identity of the individuals involved are. known to police. Enrique doxing someone, releasing their personal information. online for everybody to see, bad enough. Doxing the wrong person, even worse. >> Definitely even worse. And you know, this is the kind of blowback that takes. place from what she did. She goes in. here and attacks this guy. And then you. have people that have nothing to do with. anything being attached to this. You.

know, we're starting to live in this. world now. You know, I'm seeing stuff. online and every time I see something. crazy, I go to the comments and some. people just say AI. So, you know, we're. starting to live in a time now where you. don't know what to believe and you know, and what you unfortunately you have. these innocent folks that have nothing. to do with anything being pulled into. this and you know, and people that are. doxing them, they don't got nothing to. worry about. You know, they're not going. to, you know, they're just somebody on. the internet that says this is the. person who did it. And it's happened and. it's happened a lot. And people want to.

jump to conclusions real quick. They. want to find the person and they want to. be feel like they're the person that. found the prize by finding the person, even if it's the wrong person. And. unfortunately, that does happen and will. continue to happen. >> Now, there's something good that came. out of this, too. And that was that. Amy's Family Pizzeria was overwhelmed. with support, and that's according to. reporting from the patch. Their social. media pages were filled with praise and. lots of people in Hatboro and beyond put.

their money where their mouth was, eating some of the pizza. Pennsylvania. state representatives Melissa Serado and. Nancy Guest have been planning a meeting. and decided to have it at Amy's. The. business posted on Facebook after the. incident, saying that many people wanted. to show their support but lived out of. state, so they had requested some sort. of donation link. So, the owner set up a. GoFundMe page and raised more than $1600. for the store. That's a nice ending to. this, Enrique. Right.

>> It is. And, you know, it just goes to. show you that most people are good. Most. people want to do good. Most people want. to live in a world where they treat. people the way they want to be treated. You know, there's always a jerk off. somewhere, someplace that is will. attract the most attention. But for the. most part, people don't want to treat. other people like that. They don't want. to walk through their town or talk to. their neighbors in that way. And you. know what's great is the reason why it. went viral is because everyone doesn't. act that way. That's the silver lining.

in all of this. If everyone act like. that, it would just be a Monday, you. know, or Tuesday. Oh, person acting like. that. So for fortunately, we live in a. world where that's the rare minority. that acts that way. And when it does, it. shocks the conscience of good people. shocks the conscious of everyone else. who looks listens to that and say this. is horrible. I would never treat anyone. like this. So luckily we still live in a. place where that goes viral. >> and hopefully we stay a place like this.

Uh Enrique Latoy, thank you so much for. coming on. It was great having you here. on Sidebar. >> It was nice talking with you. Thank you. very much. >> And that's all we have for you right now. here on Sidebar. Everybody, thank you so. much for joining us. And as always, please subscribe on YouTube, Apple. Podcast, Spotify, wherever you should. get your podcasts. I'm Jesse Weber. I'll. speak to you next time. [Music].