Florida Dad Slapped After Confronting Woman At Pool Who Called Another Woman An Antisemitic Slur

A man was slapped at a swimming pool for defending someone, and the video has gone viral.

Alain Altit, a father of six, was slapped at a swimming pool while trying to defend a woman who had been called a slur.

The Altit family was enjoying a swim in the hotel water park at the J.W. Marriott Turnberry Resort in Aventura, Florida when they witnessed a hate crime.

It began with a woman who walked past another couple in Tidal Cove, the children's area of the hotel's pool area. The woman's bathing suit reportedly accidentally dripped some water on the wife's towel.

This prompted the wife to call the woman a "dirty Jew."

Altit, who is Jewish himself, overheard the wife's harsh words and tried to defend the woman. Upon doing so, he was met with a slap in the face by the wife's husband, now identified as Marcos Rodriguez.

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After being slapped, Altit was about to return the favor before being restrained by his wife.

He later said in an interview with Local10 News:

"It's really unbelievable I resisted. When I see my children, my wife, pulling me back, it made me understand I didn't need to act like an animal."

The police were called in response to the incident.

Rodriguez initially told police Altit had threatened him, prompting his physical retaliation.

However, police reviewed the footage captured of the incident and saw no signs of Altit threatening Rodriguez.

Police then took Rodriguez into custody, initially charging him with battery.

However, upon being told by witnesses the altercation was in response to Rodriguez's wife calling a woman an antisemitic slur, Aventura police may up Rodriguez's charge to a hate crime.

Aventura police officer Major Michael Bentolila has said they are currently investigating the incident of antisemitism.

He said:

"We take any threat to anyone seriously, especially if it has to do with race, ethnicity, anything along those lines."

"If our investigation leads us any further, there could be an enhanced hate crime."

Florida's chapter of the Anti-Defamation League has since responded to the incident on Twitter, saying:

"We are deeply disturbed by the report of this incident in Aventura. #Antisemitism should never be tolerated. Calling someone a 'dirty Jew' is reprehensible. We urge @AventuraPolice to continue to investigate this as a possible #hatecrime."

Many Twitter users followed suit, expressing their outrage over the incident.

Altit's wife, Tanya Cohen, was the first person to speak with Local10 News about the incident.

She said:

"The guy was definitely trying to pick a fight with a Jew. We are in 2021. This shouldn't be happening anymore."

"At the end of the day, it's the hatred to the Jewish people and it's so sad."

So far, Rodriguez has not been officially charged with a hate crime, but he may soon face punishment for his ignorance.