Emmanuel Banuelos spent weeks planning the perfect proposal, selecting a picturesque spot at a Laguna Beach park, enlisting his soon-to-be sister-in-law as a videographer and booking a mariachi band to play his girlfriend’s favorite music.
But his meticulous planning did not include the possibility of being confronted by a woman shouting “Go back to Mexico” and saying that she had called the police because the event wasn’t allowed.
A recording of the encounter has collected more than 10.8 million views on Instagram, sparking outrage over the woman’s racist remarks.
“It made me feel so sad that people still have so much hate and racism in them,” said Banuelos’ fiancée, Hayley Lugos. “When I saw it and heard it, my heart sank. It just left me distraught.”
The videographer, Hayley’s sister Trinity Lugos, told The Times the woman confronted her as she was setting up equipment to record the proposal overlooking the ocean in Crescent Bay Point Park on Friday evening.
In the recording the woman, who is walking her dog, can be heard saying that “the park is for people that live here to enjoy” and that police are coming to tear down the engagement event because they don’t have a permit.
The situation escalates as the mariachi music begins playing and the couple approaches a display of white roses and candles laid out on the grass.
“This isn’t Mexico either, you motherf—, go back to Mexico!” the woman yells seconds before Banuelos gets down on one knee.
A spokesperson for the city of Laguna Beach said the city was aware of the video and that it rejects hateful language and behavior of any kind.
“Laguna Beach’s parks and beaches are open to everyone and are regularly the backdrop to celebrate milestones,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “Because of their frequency, they can also affect the general public’s right to enjoy the coastline. Therefore, pre-planned setups and professional photography have specific rules and permit requirements.”
The spokesperson did not comment on whether this specific proposal violated city rules but noted that documented proposals require a professional-photography permit and said that proposals that include set-ups and structures are not allowed.
Banuelos said he did not think he needed a professional photography permit as the videographer was a family member and they did not use amplified sound or temporary structures. In total, the set-up, proposal and clean-up took less than an hour, Trinity Lugos said.
Police never arrived, she added.
The Laguna Beach Police Department did not respond to a request for comment on whether they received a call for service regarding the engagement.
Banuelos said the encounter was incredibly shocking and deeply offensive.
“In today’s day and age, that’s not something you want to hear,” he said. “I have very deep Mexican roots, so it was very hurtful to hear things like that.”
Despite the interference, the couple said they were still able to enjoy their beautiful moment before heading back home to Ontario, where Banuelos had planned a surprise party to celebrate the engagement.
Trinity Lugos said she decided to post the woman’s rant online because she thought there should be accountability for the comments, but she did not expect the recording to receive millions of views. Hayley Lugos said that she’s happy to see the video go viral, noting that she hopes it spreads a message that racism will not be tolerated.
“It’s a blessing for it to be brought to light,” she said. “It shows that you can’t be doing this stuff anymore.”
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