California Man Sentenced to 27 Years to Life After Racist Threats Against Pregnant Woman

A California man, Tyson Mayfield, has been sentenced to 27 years to life in prison following a successful appeal by prosecutors who argued that his original sentence was too lenient.

The sentence comes after Mayfield made racist threats against a pregnant Black woman, an offense prosecutors deemed to be motivated by hate.

Initial Plea Deal and Appeal

In 2019, Mayfield, 49, entered a plea deal that resulted in a five-year sentence. However, prosecutors from the Orange County District Attorney’s office felt the deal failed to reflect the severity of the crime, particularly the racial hatred behind his actions.

They successfully appealed the sentence, leading to Mayfield’s retrial with the addition of a hate crime charge.

“Over the last six years, we have fought and fought and fought for justice in this case,” said District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Justice was finally served today against a man who spent decades hating others, and now he will spend decades behind bars where he belongs.”

The Incident and Mayfield’s History

The incident occurred in Fullerton, California, in 2018 when Mayfield approached an eight-month pregnant woman at a bus stop and made violent, racist threats. Fearing for her safety, the woman used pepper spray to defend herself before fleeing the scene.

Mayfield’s criminal history is also marked by previous racially charged incidents. He has been convicted of assaulting an individual while shouting racist slurs and has a swastika tattoo. These past offenses contributed to the prosecutors’ push for a harsher sentence.

Original Sentence and Legal Challenges

The judge in Mayfield’s initial trial had granted him a lighter sentence, citing that no weapons had been used and no physical injuries inflicted on the woman. However, many advocates and prosecutors felt this was insufficient given his track record.

In 2020, a three-judge panel criticized the original sentence, calling it an “abuse of discretion”. The panel’s decision led to the retrial and the addition of the hate crime charge, which ultimately resulted in Mayfield’s current 27-year to life sentence.

“By virtue of his prior offenses, respondent has shown he is fully willing and able to inflict great physical harm on his victims, and there is nothing to suggest he would not have done so again in this case,” the panel wrote in their ruling.