A list of actionable items on immigration and inclusivity will be presented to Bowling Green City Council
at the April 15 meeting.
A community meeting was arranged by the La Conexion on Sunday because of what the City of Bowling
described as a “felonious assault and ethnic intimidation” perpetrated by two individuals at Waffle
House on March 31. La Conexion is a non-profit Latino/a resource group.
“The meeting focus was to present ideas and solutions to prevent things like this from happening again,”
said Beatriz Maya of La Conexion. “The next step is to put the recommendations into a report that we
will present to the city council, April 15.”
They would like to do the same with the county commissioners, state and federal representatives.
“This was an event that really, really affected the community as a whole and involved not only the city
of Bowling Green, but also involves the county and Northwest Ohio, because both the victims and the
attackers were from different communities in Northwest Ohio,” Maya said.
Several members of council were present at Sunday’s meeting, including Bruce Jeffers, Sandy Rowland and
John Zanfardino.
“We have to acknowledge that Bowling Green is not a fantasy world where violence never occurs,” Jeffers
said in a statement. “We are a good city to live in and to visit. I want to commend the restaurant staff
for their willingness to try to intervene and prevent this attack. But we, gathered here tonight, simply
must do better. Let’s take positive steps.”
Mayor Dick Edwards and city council released a joint statement on Monday.
“We, as a community, have worked long and hard to foster an atmosphere of tolerance and welcoming. This
type of behavior is not representative of Bowling Green or its residents.
“While much work has been done by this community, more work remains. Namely, in helping to educate those
visiting Bowling Green that while they are here, as a community we expect they exhibit the same
tolerance we espouse. While the two perpetrators were not residents of Bowling Green, their awful
behavior should not and cannot be tolerated.”
Approximately 50 community members attended Sunday’s meeting, including Rev. Mary Jane Saunders of the
Human Relations Commission and Emily Dunipace of Not In Our Town, as well as Bowling Green State
University President Rodney Rogers.
“While no one involved in the incident is associated with Bowling Green State University, we call Bowling
Green home and want a safe welcoming community for all,” Rogers said in a statement. “Acts like this are
not representative of the community in which we live. We must meet moments like these head on, holding
fast to our values. We join with Not In Our Town, La Conexion, and other members of our community in
standing against hate.”
Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, tweeted about the incident on Monday.
“I am sad and outraged. Racism has no place in our society and Connie & I are heartbroken this
happened in our great state of Ohio. We must stand with one voice & say together that we will
not tolerate acts of racism, violence & hate against our neighbors,” he wrote.
Two Wood County men were charged after the March 31 incident at the Waffle House, 1548 E. Wooster St.,
after they reportedly assaulted and used racial slurs against two 18-year-olds from Mount Cory and
Findlay.
Maya spoke with one of the victims.
“It was very traumatic for them. They were not expecting it to happen at all. It was a very, very serious
attack that escalated from insult to injury. One of them has a broken nose and the other gentleman’s
shoulder was affected,” Maya said.
According to the Bowling Green Police Division, at approximately 3:26 a.m., officers were dispatched to
the Waffle House, regarding an assault.
During the investigation, officers learned the two suspects used racial slurs toward the victims after
they had entered the restaurant. The two suspects paid for their meal, then reportedly assaulted the two
victims.
The victims were treated by the Bowling Green Fire Division EMS and the Wood County Hospital for various
injuries.
The suspects were identified as Jacob Dick, 22, of North Baltimore, and Zachary Keller, 21, Custar.
Dick was charged with two counts each of felonious assault and ethnic intimidation. There was a $50,000
bond, 100 percent payable, posted Friday, with a preliminary hearing Wednesday.
Keller was charged with two counts each of felonious assault and ethnic intimidation and arraigned by
video Monday, with bond set at $50,000 with 10 percent down.
Dick was arrested Thursday and Keller on Friday.