These days, it can feel impossible to go even a single day without encountering examples of racism online. While hateful comments on social media have sadly become familiar, what has been more alarming to many people is the growing number of real-life incidents in which individuals are openly and aggressively racist in public spaces. One recent confrontation at a San Diego Costco brought that reality into sharp focus after a California man was caught on video yelling at a pregnant woman and her family in a parking lot.
The video, which quickly began circulating online, opens with the person recording explaining that the California man had just told the pregnant woman and her family, who are Mexican, to “go back to their country.” The confrontation reportedly took place in the parking lot of a San Diego Costco, a location frequented daily by hundreds of shoppers. As the recording continues, the California man can be seen speaking heatedly toward the family, clearly agitated and raising his voice.
It remains unclear what initially sparked the argument. However, the California man appeared visibly angry, with witnesses noting that his face had turned red as he continued to shout. At one point, another San Diego Costco shopper walked past the scene and briefly turned to look, seemingly startled by the intensity of the exchange unfolding in the parking lot.
Shortly afterward, the California man was seen pulling out an iPad and beginning to record the interaction himself. He stopped recording after a short moment and threw the device back into his car. The video then cuts briefly before resuming, at which point the California man accused one of the men in front of him of kicking his car.
According to the video, the second man involved was not part of the Mexican family and appeared to be trying to intervene and de-escalate the situation. Despite those efforts, the California man did not seem interested in calming down. The clip ends with the California man still yelling at the group in the San Diego Costco parking lot.
After the video was shared online, it quickly drew attention, with many viewers expressing anger and disappointment over how the California man behaved. “San Diego bros are garbage,” one user commented.
Another person said they were present at the San Diego Costco on the day the incident occurred, though they did not witness the confrontation firsthand. “Thank you for posting this. I was at Costco that day right as this was happening. I did not see it, only the aftermath,” the user wrote. “It sounds in the video like the angry young man is claiming his car was kicked. He most certainly should not have responded that way, but perhaps we should all be more conscientious about what happens prior to when the recording starts. He totally acted poorly, but if you listen closely, maybe it was not entirely unprovoked. I hope all parties involved have better days.”
Others pushed back on that sentiment, noting that even if there had been a legitimate reason for the California man to be upset, it did not justify yelling racist remarks at a pregnant woman and her family.
