Man charged with hate crime after harassing women at Maine deli

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Police say they charged a man with a hate crime after he repeatedly made derogatory sexual comments to female employees while causing a disturbance at a Portland, Maine, restaurant.

Sisters Gourmet Deli employees called 911 Saturday to report a man was inside the restaurant yelling at them and knocking items off of a counter. Police arrested 37-year-old Jesse James Taylor, of Portland, without incident and took him to Cumberland County Jail.

Police say Taylor pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and was sentenced to five days in jail. They say the case is being referred to the state attorney general’s office’s civil rights division.

Portland police say they believe mental illness played a role in the incident. They say Taylor’s in jail Wednesday; it’s unclear if he has an attorney.

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