A California couple whose romantic beach proposal was interrupted by a racist tirade has received a heartwarming surprise: a free wedding dress. Hayley Lugo was gifted the gown by Lisa Clark, owner of Saint Clark Bridal Suite in Monrovia, after Clark saw the viral video of the incident, according to People.
The proposal took place on October 2 at Crescent Bay Point Park in Laguna Beach, where Emmanuel Banuelos had arranged a mariachi band to play as he asked Lugo to marry him. Lugo's sister, Trinity, was filming the moment when a woman walking her dog approached the setup, claiming the park was only for local residents and that events were not allowed on the grass. As the mariachi band began playing, the woman launched into a profanity-laced outburst, shouting "This isn't Mexico either" and telling the group to "go back to Mexico." Trinity posted the video online, where it has since racked up more than 13 million views across social media platforms.
Banuelos told the Los Angeles Times the comments were shocking and painful because of his deep Mexican roots, saying, "In today's day and age, that's not something you want to hear." The city of Laguna Beach said it was aware of the video and rejected hateful language, with a spokesperson noting that the city's parks and beaches "are open to everyone and are regularly the backdrop to celebrate milestones." Despite the disruption, the couple went ahead with the proposal.
"I feel very blessed to be receiving the gown, and there are still a lot of kind people out there willing to help us despite what happened," Lugo told CBS News. Clark said she was left distraught after watching the footage: "It made me feel so sad that people still have so much hate and racism in them. When I saw it and heard it, my heart sank." The Laguna Beach Police Department has not commented on whether anyone called about the proposal.