Woman Tells Family to “Go Back to Mexico” During a Laguna Beach Proposal
A Southern California videographer was hiding in a Laguna Beach park, waiting to capture her sister’s surprise engagement, when another parkgoer approached and began questioning whether the group was allowed to be there.
The encounter at Crescent Bay Point Park escalated once the proposal began. Video recorded by Trinity Lugo shows the woman complaining about events at the park, saying she had called the police and insisting the setup would have to come down.
Then the mariachi band started playing.
The woman walked away while making profanity-laced remarks about Mexico before turning toward the group and telling them to “go back to Mexico.”
Waiting In Hiding
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Lugo, 22, posted the encounter through Trinity Films Official after filming the Oct. 2 proposal at Crescent Bay Point Park.
She and her brother had been concealing themselves so Lugo’s sister would not realize they were there to document the engagement.
Lugo later told LADbible that the woman had approached while cameras were being set up and asked whether they had permits.
The family ignored the initial exchange because Lugo’s sister and future brother-in-law were about to arrive.
The proposal had been a long time coming. Lugo said her future brother-in-law had spent roughly 18 months saving for the ring and preparing for the moment.
Then She Returned
As the couple approached, Lugo’s brother spotted the woman walking back toward them.
“The park is for people who live here to enjoy the park and have picnics,” the woman says in the recording before objecting to events being held on the grass.
She also says she had called the police and predicts officers would make the group remove the setup.
The exchange took a different turn after the hired mariachi band began playing.
The woman can be heard using an expletive while referring to the celebration as “Mexican,” then saying, “This isn’t Mexico either.”
As she continued walking away, she turned and told the group, “Go back to Mexico.”
Lugo said the woman remained nearby during the proposal, apparently waiting for police, but officers never arrived. Lugo and others confronted her afterward and told her the encounter had been recorded.
The Permit Question
The confrontation also raised a separate question about what is actually allowed at Crescent Bay Point Park.
Engagements themselves are not prohibited there.
The City of Laguna Beach says ordinary recreational use of city parks is generally first-come, first-served, while certain organized uses, structures and professional photography are subject to separate rules.
The city also lists Crescent Bay Point Park among locations where wedding permits are available.
That means the woman’s suggestion that celebrations of this kind simply are not allowed at the park was too broad.
Professional photography is a separate issue. Laguna Beach requires permits for certain professional photography and filming activity on city property.
Whether Lugo or anyone else involved in the proposal had obtained a photography permit has not been established.
That is different from saying the engagement itself was prohibited.
City Weighs In
Laguna Beach later confirmed it was aware of the video.
In a statement provided to LADbible, the city said its parks and beaches are open to everyone and regularly host milestone celebrations.
The city also noted that pre-planned setups and professional photography have specific rules because frequent events can affect other visitors’ ability to use the coastline.
At the same time, the city rejected the language heard in the video, saying hateful language and behavior do not reflect the community’s values.
Lugo said the interruption did not derail the engagement.
Her sister accepted the proposal, the family continued celebrating, and Lugo was still able to capture the photos and video they had gone there to create.
