SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA / A news summary : The Local Review / DEVELOPMENTS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY : Man Pleads Guilty in Racial Incident at Gas Station
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LOS ANGELES — A white man pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to shouting racial slurs and turning his Rottweiler on an African American man who was trying to pump gas at a self-serve station in Sun Valley.
Rick L. McConnell, 37, faces up to two years in prison and a $200,000 fine when he is sentenced in November for two civil rights violations, both misdemeanors.
His intended target, Robert Lee Gable, was not bitten, but prosecutors said the dog came within inches of biting him.
McConnell also shattered the windshield of Gable’s car when Gable fled into the service station.
In a plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to recommend a reduction from the maximum sentence if McConnell accepts responsibility for his actions.
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