Oct. 26 (UPI) — A man wearing a pro-Trump hat allegedly punched a poll worker who asked him to remove a political hat while at an early voting location in San Antonio Thursday evening.
Bexar County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Jesse Lutzenberger, 63, on a charge of causing injury to an elderly person.
A 69-year-old poll worker Thursday evening saw Lutzenberger wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat and asked him to remove it due to Texas law banning political apparel inside voting sites.
Make America Great Again is former President Donald Trump‘s slogan, which he has used since 2016.
Lutzenberger complied, voted and put the hat back on while still inside the building.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar on Friday during a media briefing said the clerk told Lutzenberger he had to leave and started to escort him from the building.
Witnesses said Lutzenberger threw his arm into the poll worker, who then pushed Lutzenberger away.
Lutzenberger then threw several punches that struck the poll worker in the face, Salazar said.
A judge on Friday ordered Lutzenberger to pay a $30,000 bond, which court records indicate was paid to release the suspect from jail while awaiting trial on a felony charge for punching an elderly poll worker.
Texas law does not allow the wearing of shirts, hats, buttons or masks that support a political candidate or ballot proposal while within 100 feet of a polling place.
Those who do will be asked to turn their shirts inside out or remove offending clothing, such as a hat.
A violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a $500 fine.
