Police arrested a woman on Saturday night at a downtown plaza after an incident where she spat on a man while yelling a racial epithet.
On Saturday, April 12, 2025, at about 6:00 p.m., our 24-hour dispatch center received a call reporting a fight in progress at Lytton Plaza, located at 200 University Avenue. Police arrived on scene shortly thereafter and located a man who reported that he had just been battered.
The investigation revealed that the victim, a man in his sixties, had been seated in the plaza when he was approached by a woman. Without provocation, the woman spat on the victim while shouting a racial epithet directed at Black people. Fearing for his safety, the victim left the plaza as the suspect continued to yell.
Officers located the suspect a short distance away and detained her without incident. When the suspect saw the victim nearby, she resumed shouting racial epithets toward the victim in the presence of officers.
Police booked 50-year-old Lisa Madden of Palo Alto into the Santa Clara County Main Jail for disturbing the peace, battery, and a hate crime (all misdemeanors), as well as an outstanding felony arrest warrant for vandalism.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call our 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413. Anonymous tips can be sent via text message or voice mail to (650) 383-8984, or submitted using the “TipNow-Palo Alto” app, which is available via the App Store or Google Play.
To view this release on the City's website, click here:
https://www.paloalto.gov/News-Articles/Police-Department/Police-Arrest-Woman-for-Hate-Crime-Battery-at-Downtown-Plaza
