Anti-immigrant activist Rick Galeener, accused of making water in public in front of a mother and her two-year-old kid.
Virulent racist and noted Yosemite Sam impersonator "Buffalo" Rick Galeener got popped today for allegedly peeing into a plastic bottle nearby the Macehualli Work Center, where he and fellow members of local hate group United for a Sovereign America have been protesting just about every day since the beginning of the year. Always a class act, Galeener allegedly enjoyed the pause that refreshes beside his truck, which was parked in front of Paulita Cortes' house.
"I saw him standing beside his truck," explained Cortes through a translator. "I came out to tell the police to ask him to move because he was parked in front of my mailbox. Sometimes the mailman just passes by [if someone is parked there], and I don’t get my mail. My son was running behind me and I turned to grab his hand and that's when I saw [Galeener] holding his penis with one hand and the bottle with the other."
Cortes, who has lived in the neighborhood near Bell Road and 25th Street for nine years, cried out to the police for help. A contingent of four to five PHX cops is normally nearby the work center, which caters to immigrant day-laborers seeking part-time work from home owners and others. Phoenix's finest have been observing the site since the protests by former Kia-dealer Rusty Childress' U.S.A. began. Officers responded to Cortes' call for assistance, and detained the bladder-challenged bigot around noon today.
According to Sgt. Brian Murray of the PHX PD's Community Relations Bureau, Galeener was cited and released for indecent exposure, a class 1 misdemeanor, which carries a potential fine of $2,500 and possible punishment of six months in jail. According to Murray, buffalo chip copped to taking a whiz, but the unkempt xenophobe insisted he was in his car doing it, not out in the open. Murray pointed out that whether or not Galeener was urinating inside or outside of his vehicle was irrelevant to the actual charge.
"They’re both class 1 misdemeanors -- urinating in public or indecent exposure," explained Murray. "But [Cortes] says she saw his penis. That was her statement. So we just cited him for that. It doesn’t matter if he was peeing or not."
Murray also indicated that Galeener may have narrowly escaped a more serious charge.
"There’s a cutoff of 15 years of age," said Murray. "If you have a victim that’s less that 15, it’s a felony. [Cortes] was an adult. Now her two-year-old son was with her. We don’t know what he saw or what he did not see. He’s only two and couldn’t articulate what he saw or not."
Ironically, there's a McDonald's about a block up the road on Bell, and a Taco Bell right beside it. Even if Galeener was in a hurry, he could have driven to one or the other. He may not have wanted to use the McDonald's, as it's owned by Keenan Strand, a vocal opponent of the protesters and a supporter of the work center.
"I think he’s done it before," Cortes claimed. "I’ve seen him doing something by his truck, but I didn’t pay close attention before."
Cortes also said that Galeener had shouted insults at her in the past, calling her a wetback and telling her to go back to Mexico. I don't doubt it. On more than one occasion, Galeener has referred to nonwhites as "monkeys" in front of me.
Macehualli's operator Salvador Reza, the frequent target of Galeener's ire, complained that Galeener was let off easy, and that if the shoe had been on the other foot, and one of his men had urinated in public, they'd be in Sheriff Joe's Tent City lickety-split. But Sgt. Murray denied that there was any favoritism shown Galeener. Murray said that because Galeener had an Arizona driver's license, he was cited and released. If he'd been from another state, say, the police would not have accepted his promise to appear before a judge.
Galeener's supposed to be in court on the 18th for a preliminary appearance. If he pleads not guilty, a trial date will be set. Wonder how he'll get along with Tent City's Mexican gangs if he's convicted and has to do some time? I'll betcha the scraggly Lost Dutchman-lookalike won't be calling anyone a monkey or a wetback in stir, unless he really is as dumb as he looks.
I hate that bastard. Hope he has to register as a sexual offender.
Posted at: March 8, 2008 11:39 PM