Texas woman will do jail time for her now-viral attack on group of Indian Americans

A North Texas woman will serve 40 days in jail after pleading guilty to charges related to a racially charged tirade she directed at a group of Indian American women two years ago. A now-viral video of the incident showed Esmeralda Upton of Plano mocking the group for their accents, referring to them as "curry-ass bitches" and hurling punches.

Upton pleaded guilty Friday to three counts of assault and one count of making terrorist threats, according to the Chandra Law Firm, which represented the victims in the case. The charges and conviction included a hate-crime specification under Texas law, Chandra attorneys said in a statement.

Upton will serve her time at the Collin County jail on weekends beginning July 19 under a plea deal struck with the county's district attorney's office, according to the law firm. Even so, the judge warned Upton that if she turns up late, even once, her time will be served consecutively.

Upton's plea stems from an Aug. 24, 2022, incident in which she accosted four Indian American women in the parking lot of the Sixty Vines restaurant in Plano.


"I hate you fucking Indians," Upton can be heard saying in the two-and-a-half-minute clip. "We don't want you here."

In a statement to the court, Anamika Chatterjee — one of the women Upton confronted in the video — said she fears for her children's safety since the incident and has yet to return to the Sixty Vines restaurant.

"I no longer feel safe even when talking with friends in a public area," Chatterjee said, directly addressing Upton. "You've affected my ability to just live a normal life and experience those normal moments of enjoyment without fear or worry."

A civil suit accusing Upton of assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and defamation is still pending.

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