Rita Bellew is a 55-year-old Pennsylvania woman who is accused of causing a racist disturbance at Amy’s Family Pizzeria in Hatboro, according to the Borough of Hatboro in February 2023.
According to a press release from the Borough of Hatboro, Bellew has since been charged with ethnic intimidation and harassment. The incident occurred on February 23, 2023, the press release said, and Bellew was charged on March 3.
The video was first posted on TikTok by user @kellyflores765. The video went viral.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the video shows Bellew, a 55-year-old CPA from Hatboro, “berating Omar Quiñones, the owner of Amy’s Family Pizzeria.”
You can watch the video below. The video also went viral when it was posted on Reddit. The Reddit poster wrote, “Amy’s Family Pizzeria in Hatboro needs some love after this.”
Here’s what you need to know:
In the Video, Rita Bellew Demanded a Credit After Complaining That Spanish Was Being Played on the Television
@alexnuusila @kellyflores765 #stopthehate ♬ original sound – alexnuusila
In the video, Bellew told the man at the cashier register, Quiñones, “Guess what, mother f*****, you’re out of business.” She said she had been in the town for 55 years and her grandparents were from the town too.
“You want to have the Spanish on your TV?” she asked. When Quiñones asked what was wrong with that, Bellew replied, “What’s wrong with that is you’re not American, dude.” She said she would “get you the f*** out of our town okay, f*** you. Give me my money back. I’m not giving my money to some illegal immigrant. You’re in America; you’re supposed to have English. You have Spanish on your TV. That’s a f*** you to Americans, dude.”
Bellew repeatedly insisted she wanted her money back and told Quiñones, “You don’t understand. You’re an ignoramus, that’s what you are.”
At one point, she said, “You probably don’t even know what that means.” At that point, Bellew noticed that a female employee was recording her. The employee said, “You’re a racist.” Bellew responded, “You’re a victim. I’m an American. You’re the racist.”
She also told them, “I’ve been here over 100 years. You’re racist, honey, very racist. I would like a refund.” Bellew then began recording the scene on her own cell phone and said, “I’m being bullied by these people.” She claimed they “are videotaping me because I am white, see that? They’re calling me a racist because I am white.”
The worker replied, “No, we’re calling you a racist because you’re a racist.” Bellew said in resposne, “I am at Amy’s, and I am being videotaped because I am white, and they want to call me racist. I am simply asking for a refund because their food is terrible.”
The employee interjected that Bellew had said she wanted a refund “because we’re playing Spanish on a TV” before she started recording. Bellew responded, “None of them are white. Why aren’t you giving me a credit on my credit card? I don’t want your food.”
Rita Bellew Was Accused of Going on a ‘Profane, Racially Fueled Tirade’
According to a news release posted on the Borough of Hatboro’s Facebook page, “Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Hatboro Police Chief James E. Gardner announce that Rita Bellew, 55, of Hatboro PA has been charged via summons with Ethnic Intimidation and Harassment following a disturbance that occurred on February 23, 2023 at Amy’s Family Pizzeria in the 300 block of South York Road in Hatboro.”
The release says Hatboro Police “were dispatched to the restaurant on February 23, 2023 approximately 5:55 p.m. for a report of a disturbance. Police de-escalated the disturbance involving Bellew and leaned that an employee video recorded Bellew prior to police arriving. The video shows Bellew berating the staff of the restaurant with a profane, racially fueled tirade. Bellew was apparently triggered, at least in part, by a Spanish broadcast being shown on television in the restaurant.”
The release continued that “charges of Ethnic Intimidation and Harassment were filed today at the office of Magisterial District Judge Paul N. Leo and Bellew will be required to answer to those charges. The date and time of a Preliminary Hearing will be scheduled by the court. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Tanner Beck.”
“The Hatboro Police Department responded to a reported disturbance at Amy’s Family Pizzeria in the 300 block of S. York Road last evening. The police arrived and de-escalated the dispute with the customer,” Hatboro police wrote in an earlier news release.
“All parties involved were identified by police last night at the scene. Police are reviewing a video of the incident and the investigation is on-going.”
Rita Bellew Eventually Apologized, Saying, ‘I Don’t Want to Make Excuses,’ Reports Say
TikTok/@kellyflores765Rita Bellew.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the criminal complaint shows that Hatboro officer Brett Paul responded to the incident. “I’m white, I’m white, I’m racist,” Bellew said, according to the Inquirer, which said she was also accused of telling the officer, “I’m too d*** white.”
The Inquirer reported that the newspaper contacted Bellew, and she “misrepresented herself as a family member, later saying she was concerned about her safety.” According to the Inquirer, the second time the newspaper contacted Bellew, she said, “I’m profoundly sorry. I don’t want to make excuses.”
“When we viewed the video, it was really over the top. It was a racially-fueled, profane rant directed at their heritage and it’s not going to be tolerated,” said Hatboro Chief of Police James Gardner to ABC 3.
The Pizzeria Has Been Flooded With Support Since the Rita Bellew TikTok Video Went Viral
TikTok/@kellyflores765Rita Bellew.
According to Whyy.org, the pizzeria has been flooded with support since the TikTok video went viral.
“We’ve had phone calls from Germany, England, Poland, and Spain, all South America. It has been really, really nice,” Quiñonez told the television station. “A lot of people, they drive an hour, two hours just to come over here and buy a slice of pizza or say hi. That’s a really good thing.”
Hatboro police wrote in a statement that some people were wrongly identified as the woman on social media.
“As an update to this case, the Hatboro Police would like to emphasis that the individual(s) involved in this case were identified last evening and are known to this agency. We can unequivocally report that those incorrectly identified on previous third party social media platforms, including but not limited to, Candice Bogar, Sally Poppert and Tracey Gaida and their associated business have absolutely nothing to do with this incident and are not the indivudual seen in the video widely posted on social media,” Hatboro police wrote in a news release.
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