MOUNTAIN VIEW – A 43-year-old woman was arrested in connection with a hate crime following a fight Friday afternoon in downtown Mountain View, authorities said.

The fight was reported about 3:15 p.m. at Castro and Mercy streets, according to the Mountain View Police Department. Witnesses followed one of the women after she ran from the scene and helped officers find her near the intersection of Castro and Central Expressway.

In a statement, police said an initial investigation revealed that the woman, identified as a 43-year-old transient, had battered an 18-year-old woman and “made racial slurs directed at her because of her ethnicity.”

The 43-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of battery with a hate crime enhancement and booked into Santa Clara County jail, according to police.

Mountain View police Chief Chris Hsiung said he was “saddened” to hear about the incident.

“This is not the way we treat each other,” Hsiung said, “and hate has no place in our community.”

Source: www.mercurynews.com