Authorities are searching for a 25-year-old self-described “incel” after he allegedly pepper sprayed multiple women and posted their reactions online.
Johnny Young allegedly performed his latest attack outside of a nightclub Costa Mesa, California, where he verbally attacked two women before pepper spraying them on camera, authorities said, according to CBS News Los Angeles. Separate footage showed Young attacking a woman in a parking garage.
An “incel,” short for involuntary celibate, is a man who expresses extreme hostility toward those who are sexually active, particularly women, according to Merriam-Webster.
Two female victims spoke out about the attacks. Emily, who requested only her first name be used, told Inside Edition that she punched her attacker in the face, causing his nose to bleed after he pepper sprayed her. Another victim, Jessica Estrada, defended a group of her friends after being attacked. (RELATED: Man Self-Described As ‘Incel’ Charged For Plotting Mass Shooting Of Women In University Sororities)
Detectives have identified the man as 25-year-old Johnny Young, who might be living in his distinctive green and white Chevy van. https://t.co/aJaI8JRWFb
— CBS Los Angeles (@CBSLA) May 6, 2022
“I threw my phone at him and I hit him,” Estrada said, according to the outlet. “It could have happened to anybody.”
“His contact with the females are vulgar and explicit, uses explicit language, obviously provoking a confrontation,” Lt. Ed Everrett, with the Costa Mesa Police Department said. “He’s asking women to show them their body parts. He asks if they’d like to have intercourse. He asks them to be descriptive. For a number of people, that’s very offensive.”
The Orange County District Attorney’s office has charged the 25-year-old with hate crime, assault with a deadly weapon and the use of pepper spray, CBS News reported. Authorities say to contact the Costa Mesa Police Department if anyone sees Young, who they believe is traveling to Las Vegas or San Diego.
A Secret Service report released in March found that incel terrorism attacks have been on the rise since 2014, leaving dozens of women dead, CBS News reported. The 26-page report plans recommended early intervention and behavioral threat assessments to protect women against the incel ideology.
In March 2021, another self-described “incel” named Alek Minassian killed 10 people after plowing his car into pedestrians in Toronto, Canada, testifying that he carried out the attack to punish society for years of being rejected by women. He was found guilty of all 26 counts of first degree and attempted murder.