A 57-year-old California man has been sentenced to 60 days in jail and two years of supervised probation for threatening to kill a family wearing T-shirts with “Black Lives Matter” emblazoned on them, the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
According to Mercury News, Steven L. Cibotti was handed the sentence after he pleaded no contest to a felony hate crime by means of felony threats.
The June 2020 incident occurred after Cibotti confronted a family wearing “Black Lives Matter” T-shirts at a restaurant. The couple was in the company of children who were aged 7, 5, and 2 at the time. And the family had gone to the restaurant after they partook in a “Black Lives Matter” march.
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Cibotti was said to be intoxicated when he confronted the family and slammed their table with his hand. He also screamed, “F— black lives. Blue lives matter!” But after the father registered his displeasure with the way Cibotti had spoken to them, the convicted man allegedly replied saying, “F— you, if I had a gun, I would shoot all of you.”
“He basically banged the table, slammed his hands on the table, looked directly at my son and said ‘black lives matter… ‘F’ black lives. Blue lives matter.'”” the father told ABC7 at the time.
Authorities arrested Cibotti following an investigation that lasted 11 days. In the wake of his arrest, Cibotti’s lawyer also told the news outlet that the 57-year-old man drank excessively while he was at the restaurant with his family.
His attorney also claimed Cibotti was terminated as a United Airlines employee after the confrontation was publicized.
“I’m upset that the kids were exposed to that, I’m upset at the effect it’s going to have on them. After this, Arlo didn’t want to leave the house today because he thinks the guy’s going to come back and bring his gun,” the children’s mother said at the time.
Cibotti has been ordered to additionally complete 120 hours of public service and stay away from controlled substances such as marijuana, per Mercury News. He’s also banned from contacting the victims and possessing any weapons or ammunition.
