A 63-year-old Texas man, Jesse Lutzenberger, has been arrested and charged with causing injury to an elderly person following an alleged assault on a poll worker in Bexar County. The incident was sparked when Lutzenberger was asked to remove his “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) hat, in accordance with the county’s laws against electioneering at voting sites.
Sheriff Javier Salazar reported that Lutzenberger initially complied with the 69-year-old poll worker’s request to remove his hat, a recognized symbol of support for former President Donald Trump. However, tensions rose after Lutzenberger completed his voting and donned his hat again. The poll worker requested him to remove the hat once more and began to escort him out of the voting site.
Salazar stated that surveillance footage showed Lutzenberger swinging an arm back towards the poll worker. Although it was unclear whether contact was made, the worker seemed to push off Lutzenberger, who then allegedly threw punches at the worker’s face. The worker sustained facial marks from the incident.
Authorities later found Lutzenberger at his residence, where he identified himself as the individual involved in the incident. He was taken into custody, questioned, and subsequently charged with causing injury to an elderly person. Lutzenberger was released after posting a $30,000 bond.
Despite the small age difference between Lutzenberger and the poll worker, Salazar underscored that Lutzenberger’s actions were inexcusable. He characterized Lutzenberger as physically capable and estimated his size to be around six feet and between 240 to 250 pounds. Salazar emphasized that such behavior is illegal, irrespective of the context or political affiliations.
The sheriff used the incident to advocate for a decrease in political hostility, stating his aim was to “bring down the tone” and “calm the mood down a bit.” He reiterated that the issue was not about supporting a specific candidate, but about respecting the laws prohibiting electioneering at polling sites.