Jogger spit on people for not wearing masks, used racist slurs, California police say

A shirtless jogger spit on people not wearing masks and used “racial slurs,” California police said.

James Howard, a 38-year-old Glendale man, allegedly spit on people ranging in age from 13 to 78 years old when they weren’t wearing a face mask outdoors, according to a statement from the Glendale Police Department on Friday.

On some occasions, he taunted the victim and “used racial slurs,” the police department said.

“Howard admitted to committing the series of reported assaults along with other assaults that had not been reported,” police said. “Howard was arrested and booked for battery, elder abuse and a hate crime allegation.”

Police first became aware of the pattern in early December when a victim reported a jogger had told him to “go back to his country” and slapped him, according to the police department.

“The same suspect is thought to be involved in several other recent assault incidences where the suspect has assaulted random people for not wearing masks or other unprovoked reasons,” the police department said Dec. 23.

There are eight incidents connected to Howard, police said, but more incidents could be unreported.