Watch CBS News

Woman Involved In Palo Alto 'MAGA' Hat Encounter Goes Missing

PALO ALTO (CBS SF) -- The woman who was at the center of a "MAGA" hat confrontation at a Peninsula Starbucks has gone missing, according to authorities.

46-year-old Rebecca Parker Mankey was reported missing Friday morning when she didn't return to her Palo Alto home after visiting a friend in Lake County.

Missing Palo Alto woman Rebecca Parker Mankey
Missing Palo Alto woman Rebecca Parker Mankey (CBS)

Earlier this month, Mankey was chastised for berating an elderly man who she confronted for wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat at a Starbucks.

"This crazy woman came over and started raving at me. She turned to the rest of Starbucks and said, 'Hey everybody, here's this racist over here. He hates brown people, he's crazy, he's a Nazi,' and so forth," Victor F. told KPIX 5 on April 4.

Mankey then began taking photos and posting about it on her Facebook page, saying she was going to shame him, get him fired, kicked out of clubs and march up and down his street.

Victor said she left, then came back and tried to rile the Starbucks crowd once more. The incident and her posts went viral on social media and sparked a debate on the country's divided politics.

The confrontation and outrage over it led to Mankey being fired from her job at a music store in Palo Alto.

Authorities say two cell phone pings on Friday placed Mankey in the Aberdeen area of Washington state, southwest of Seattle.

Aberdeen police say they are keeping an eye out for her.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.