Felony charges filed against activist charged in California Senate blood dumping incident
Sacramento prosecutors have filed felony charges of assault on public officials and vandalism against anti-vaccine activist Rebecca Lee Dalelio for allegedly dumping menstrual blood onto California state lawmakers from her state Senate gallery perch in September.
The three-page complaint filed Thursday sets the stage for a Monday morning arraignment in Sacramento Superior Court – four months to the day the Santa Cruz County woman shut down the state Senate on the final day of the legislative session by hurling a blood-filled menstrual cup onto the lawmakers below.
Dalelio shouted, “That’s for the dead babies,” as she was detained and led from the chambers by California Highway Patrol officers. Lawmakers finished their session in a nearby hearing room. The 43-year-old Dalelio from tiny Boulder Creek in the Santa Cruz mountains was originally arrested on suspicion of four charges including felony vandalism, misdemeanor battery and four other counts related to disrupting official state business.
She quickly posted bond and remains free on her own recognizance pending the scheduled Monday arraignment date.
Ten state senators were named as victims in the Sacramento County District Attorney’s criminal complaint, including physician and state Sen. Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, long a lightning rod for anti-vaccine protest. The nine others named, all Democrats, were: Benjamin Allen of Redondo Beach; Cathleen Galgiani of Stockton; Steve Glazer of Orinda; Lena Gonzalez, who represents southeast Los Angeles; Melissa Hurtado of Sanger; Hannah-Beth Jackson of Ventura County; and Holly Mitchell and Susan Rubio of Los Angeles.
Pan, the Sacramento pediatrician and vaccine advocate has been the target of anti-vaccine activists’ anger and protest for championing legislation mandating vaccinations for school-age children.
Pan’s 2015 law barred parents from using personal beliefs as justification for not vaccinating their children enrolling in school. Legislation signed in September tightened oversight of doctors who issue vaccine medical exemptions.
Just weeks before the Sept. 13 menstrual blood attack, Pan was followed and shoved by anti-vaccine activist Austin Bennett on L Street as Pan walked from the Capitol building to nearby Frank Fat’s restaurant for an awards luncheon. Bennett, who filmed the attack was later arrested on suspicion of battery and in December was slapped with a court order to stay away from Pan.
Pan, who had said he had received death threats for his pro-vaccination stance and vaccine legislation, said in the restraining order request that he was “extremely fearful for my safety” in the wake of the broad daylight exchange with Bennett.
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