We are getting a new perspective on a viral video showing a Dallas woman threatening to call immigration officials on two Hispanic women operating a food truck in her neighborhood.
The East Dallas woman says there’s more to the story. She spoke first with NBC 5 and asked to only be identified as Valerie out of fear for the safety of herself and her family.
By the outside world, she has been dubbed ‘Taco Truck Tammy’ for confronting the Latina workers.
She says she has one regret but is not sorry because she was threatened first.
“I appreciate being able to sit, tell my story,” she said.
Valerie admits it was not her best moment.
“It was just a moment of a very bad choice of words,” she said. “I regret the comment at the end. It was a flippant comment. It doesn’t really reflect who I am. It reflects my frustration.”
A confrontation between her and Latina women operating a food truck in her East Dallas neighborhood last week has gone viral.
But she insists it doesn’t tell the whole story.
“I was cleaning to get ready [to show my house to a perspective buyer] and all of the sudden there’s the noise of the honking, honking, honking and there’s a truck parked outside,” she said.
The food truck parked along Valerie’s road where several homes are under construction and many workers are on site.
She snapped a picture of at least one worker buying his lunch from the food truck.
“I walked out and said: ‘you guys cannot be here. This is a residential area.’ And they immediately attacked me ‘get back in your house, bitch or we will kick your ass.’ And I’m like: ‘Seriously,'” she said.
What happened next was caught on camera.
The women can be heard pointing a camera at Valerie, speaking Spanish saying they cannot believe this ‘crazy lady’ is asking them if they have a permit and for them to leave.
One woman is heard on camera calling Valerie an expletive.
“It wasn’t a nice comment but I was pushed to a point where I just kind of snapped,” said Valerie.
She blames pent up frustration because of the constant construction noise around her, not being able to sell her house and a death in the family for the outburst.
She also admits part of her threat was directed toward the construction workers around her.
She questions whether the workers are in the country legally.
Valerie also stated she had been watching a news story about the large ICE raid in Allen where more than 280 people suspected of working in the country illegally were arrested.
But she insists that while her comment was perhaps racist, she’s not.
“I took their comments seriously when they told me to go back in my house or they’d kick my ass! I just didn’t want my ass kicked! And I like tacos! Just not in my neighborhood,” she said with a laugh.
Valerie tells NBC 5 she filed a police report against the food truck operators for harassment.
NBC 5 is in contact with the woman in the cell phone video and expect to speak with her on camera Tuesday evening.
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