After mask dispute, he posted racist comments under her name, police say

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. (KTLA ) — An Oxnard man was arrested for allegedly impersonating a woman on social media in an attempt to defame her after she commented about a mask dispute at a coffeehouse, officials said Wednesday.

Edgar Castrejon, 42, was taken into custody Wednesday on suspicion of identity theft, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

The social media posts that incited the uproar arose from a COVID-19 face covering incident in June between a worker and customer at Sandbox Coffeehouse in Ventura, investigators said.  The exchange sparked heated social media debate, and among those who shared opinions was 45-year-old Gina Bacon of Ventura, deputies said.

The following month, a series of racist statements were posted to social media accounts under the name Gina Bacon, as well as the name of a nonprofit she’s affiliated with. The posts sparked backlash against Bacon and the nonprofit, the sheriff’s office said.

Some responses described Bacon as the owner of the coffee house and called for the establishment to be “canceled.” However, officials say Bacon has no affiliation with the coffee shop.

Detectives also say Bacon was not behind the racist statements. The woman deleted her social media accounts, and a sheriff’s investigation began.

After serving search warrants and conducting interviews, investigators determined Castrejon made fictitious accounts in the names of Bacon and the nonprofit to create defaming, racist posts.

Castrejon was arrested around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. Inmate records show he was cited and released Thursday.

A court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 27, according to the booking records.

“Investigators would like the public to know that California Penal Code 528.5 makes it a crime for any person who knowingly and without consent credibly impersonates another actual person through or on an Internet website or by other electronic means for purposes of harming, intimidating, threatening, or defrauding another person is guilty of a misdemeanor,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “False information can both discredit individuals and harm the reputations of the victims.”

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