Woman says attack at Turlock bar ‘blindsided’ her

Latisha Mcany on Tuesday described in court how two men attacked her outside of Staley’s Club in Turlock shortly after 2 a.m. Dec. 23, 2013.

“That’s one night I will never, ever forget,” she said.

Mcany identified Eddie Taylor and his son Eddie Taylor II as the men who attacked her on Dec. 23, 2013 at Staley’s Club on E. Main Street. The father and son accused of a hate crime in the assault on Mcany, who is black; their preliminary hearing began Tuesday morning.

She testified that she walked into the bar and heard someone in a group of men say “I don’t know why they let this colored b---- in here.” Mcany said she turned and saw Eddie Taylor, the father, looking directly at her and pointing at her as he said it again.

She told the judge that she turned to leave the bar, when she heard Eddie Taylor say “Get out of here, n-----.” Mcany said she stopped before walking out and said that she didn’t care how ignorant he was, she was a beautiful black woman.

Then, Mcany left the bar with the bar’s manager following her.

Mcany testified that she noticed Eddie Taylor walk out of the bar, walking in her direction, but she didn’t pay close attention to him. Moments later, she was attacked.

“I was blindsided,” Mcany said on the witness stand. “I was punched in the face from the (left) side.”

The sucker punch knocked Mcany unconscious, she said. Mcany regained consciousness and felt feet stomping and kicking her.

She told the judge that two men, tall and blonde, were kicking and stomping on her. She said one was older; the other younger. She identified Eddie Taylor and his son as the two men kicking and stomping on her.

Mcany crawled away when she noticed the other men in Taylor’s group had their shirts off and were fighting others in the bar’s parking lot. She testified that she spotted Taylor’s son standing in front of her. She said he was in a fighting stance.

She stood up and raised her hands to defend herself as Eddie Taylor II flinched as if he was about to hit her, according to Mcany. She then took a swing at him with her right hand but missed. She testified that Eddie Taylor II then punched the left side of her face, knocking her to the ground.

Mcany said she then went in and out of consciousness as medics arrived and treated her.

INJURIES

She testified she suffered bruising and swelling to her head and face, cuts inside her lips and bruising on her torso.

Tia Bogan, Eddie Taylor’s attorney, during cross examination asked Mcany why her testimony of the incident was more detailed then her initial report to police. He questioned her about portions of the assault she left out like curling into the fetal position while she was being kicked. She said she gave the officer the best statement she could at the time “given the trauma I sustained.”

She said it took her months, even years, to remember all the details she testified to on Tuesday because she was traumatized after the event.

Mcany acknowledged she was intoxicated the night of the assault, recalling having at least two mimosas, a kamikaze and three shots of Fireball over a seven-hour period.

The Taylors have been charged with battery causing serious bodily injury and assault likely to produce great bodily injury in connection with the assault on the woman. Those charges are accompanied by special allegations indicating the crimes were committed because of the woman's race. The defendants also have been charged with misdemeanor battery on the man who intervened, David Fernandez.

Turlock Police Officer Michael Cervantez, who transported the defendants to jail the night of the assault, said Fernandez suffered a laceration to his face. He said Fernandez could not identify the person or people who assaulted him but heard several racial slurs during the assault including the term, “f---ing beaner.”

Testimony in the preliminary hearing is expected to continue May 9. At the conclusion of the hearing, Stanislaus Superior Court Judge Ricardo Córdova will decide whether there’s enough evidence for the defendants to stand trial.

This story was originally published March 15, 2017 at 7:35 PM with the headline "Woman says attack at Turlock bar ‘blindsided’ her."