No charges yet in possible Santa Rosa hate attack against mother, toddler

Prosecutors asked for more time Tuesday to decide what charges to bring against two Santa Rosa women investigated for possible hate crimes in an attack on a woman holding her crying toddler in a retail store checkout line.

Marion Forrest, 52, and her sister, Frankie Brouwer, 47, were arrested after the Friday incident at Dollar Tree on Sebastopol Road that a witness said began when Forrest said something like “Mexican baby needs to shut up.”

Forrest and the unidentified 32-year-old mother began fighting with Forrest landing several blows on the mother and the child.

Brouwer attempted unsuccessfully to intervene and is accused of assaulting the mother herself when a bystander tried to stop her sister.

The sister is accused of hitting the bystander in the head with a plastic conveyor belt divider.

Both women appeared in blue jail uniforms before Judge Robert LaForge. Prosecutor Javier Vaca asked for 30 days for additional investigation.

The judge said the pair would be released from jail pending a decision from prosecutors.

They were ordered back to court Sept. 28.

You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 707-568-5312 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter ?@ppayne.