A woman has been charged after police said she used racist hate speech and repeatedly harassing employees of a Mexican food cart in Southeast Portland.

A Multnomah County grand jury indicted Sierra McDonald, 30, after she made racist comments to the food cart operator, poured soda on her head and spit on food that she was cooking, according to court filings.

McDonald has been charged with first-degree bias crime, four counts of second-degree bias crime, two counts of second-degree criminal mischief, two counts of menacing, harassment and unlawful use of a weapon.

Court documents say that McDonald went to the Southeast Portland food cart on Sept. 21. The food cart operator told police that McDonald ordered food, then refused to pay for it, saying it was too expensive.

McDonald then told the operator to “go back to Mexico,” poured soda on her head, and on the grill where she was cooking chicken, the charging documents say.

After the operator contacted police, officers tried to call McDonald, but she hung up on them, police said.

McDonald returned to the food carts later that day, court documents say, upset that the food cart operator had called police. The filings say she threatened the operator and another employee by waving a wooden stake with a pointed tip toward them.

McDonald also allegedly tried to fling chicken off the grill where employees were cooking and spit toward the cooking area. Documents said employees had to throw away 12 whole chickens due to possible contamination.

According to court documents, the first victim had a heart attack after McDonald threatened her, which she believes was caused by the fear and stress of McDonald’s harassment.

Police said McDonald refused to come out of her apartment, which is across the street from the food carts, when officers returned.

According to court documents, McDonald, who is black, told officers that she believed the food cart was racist because “they served white people faster than they served her.”

Officers returned to her apartment again later in the day, police said, but couldn’t arrest McDonald because she refused to come outside. McDonald was arrested on Sunday, and released Monday.

—Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR

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