Felony hate crime charge reduced to misdemeanor in Oakdale Starbucks pride flag case
A felony hate crime charge against an Oakdale man accused of destroying an LGBTQ pride flag at a Starbucks has been reduced to a misdemeanor, according to court records and prosecutors.
Shane Alan Cawelti, 30, appeared out of custody Friday morning in Stanislaus County Superior Court, where Judge Jeff Mangar reassigned the case to a misdemeanor department after prosecutors filed an amended complaint reducing the charge.
Cawelti is accused of entering the Starbucks at 325 E. F St. in Oakdale on April 29, removing an LGBTQ pride flag from inside the business and destroying it outside before leaving the area, according to authorities and court documents.
Deputy District Attorney Zynal Aziz appeared for the prosecution during Friday’s early case management hearing. Public defender Jennifer Trautman represented Cawelti.
Cawelti entered a plea of not guilty to the amended misdemeanor complaint. The case was reassigned to Department 10 for all purposes before Judge Sonny S. Garcia. A future hearing was scheduled for June 22.
The amended complaint alleges Cawelti interfered with the exercise of civil rights by “willfully, unlawfully, and knowingly” damaging or destroying Starbucks property “for the purpose of intimidating or interfering” with rights protected under state and federal law because of sexual orientation, gender or association with a protected group.
The charge was originally filed earlier in the week as a felony hate crime.
In a statement to The Bee, Chief Deputy District Attorney Wendell Emerson said California law gives prosecutors discretion to charge hate-related offenses as either misdemeanors or felonies depending on the facts of a case.
“After the defendant was initially charged, a prosecutor with specialized hate crime training was assigned to conduct a thorough review based upon the law and the evidence to determine an appropriate resolution,” Emerson said.
“Given the specific facts of this case, our prosecutor determined that a misdemeanor hate crime charge will carry the appropriate consequences to hold the violator accountable and deter future criminal behavior,” he said.
Oakdale police previously said officers responded to the Starbucks after receiving a report that a man had removed and destroyed the pride flag. Sgt. Madyson Falconi said investigators reviewed surveillance footage before Cawelti later came to the police department and confessed to the act.
“Nobody was assaulted,” Falconi told The Bee earlier this week. “He just came into the building and removed the flag and destroyed it.”
The case drew reaction from local LGBTQ advocacy groups and city officials after the original felony filing.
Roman Scanlon, spokesperson for CalPride, previously said incidents targeting LGBTQ symbols can have a “significant emotional impact” on members of the community.
“Oakdale has a vibrant and growing LGBTQ+ community,” Scanlon said in a statement. “Incidents like this can create fear and anxiety, but they can also serve as reminders of why visibility, support, and allyship remain so important.”
Oakdale Mayor Cherilyn Bairos also condemned hate crimes in a statement to The Bee. “Every person deserves to feel safe regardless of their race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or background,” Bairos said. “Hatred and violence have no place in our community.”
Trautman declined to comment following Friday’s hearing.
Starbucks and Cawelti did not respond to requests for comment.
This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 5:22 PM with the headline "Felony hate crime charge reduced to misdemeanor in Oakdale Starbucks pride flag case."
