Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
MIDVALE — A Midvale woman is sparking concerns from residents and now community leaders because of racist rants she is accused of frequently making against her neighbors.
The 67-year-old woman has received widespread attention in recent days due to viral TikTok videos documenting her actions. One neighbor says her family has been dealing with the woman since May.
"She walks by our home daily and screams racial profanities at our home calling our 9-year-old son a (derogatory name) yelling we are disgusting … or aren't allowed on her street, she spit on our vehicles, camps in front of our house in the middle of the night, messes with our vehicles, paces around in our front and back yard in the middle of the night, chases our son around the neighborhood with sticks and leaf blowers, threatens to have her cats eat our kids, assaulted my pregnant belly stating I shouldn't bring more children into the world," Cecile Cummings posted on Facebook.
Cummings also posted several videos of the woman making comments.
In September, the woman was charged in Midvale Justice Court with assault, a class B misdemeanor, tied to one of her confrontations with Cummings.
Prosecutors say the woman "began yelling and screaming" at Cummings' children who were playing outside, and then got into Cummings' face and continued yelling when Cummings told her to leave her children alone, according to charging documents.
"(The woman) then forcibly poked Cummings' pregnant stomach before pushing her with both hands in the stomach," the charges allege.
Cummings isn't the only neighbor who has had problems with the woman. In September, the woman was charged with property damage, a class B misdemeanor, for yelling at another neighbor who was putting items in his car, and then ripping up his garden, charging documents state.
Unified police say they are well aware of the issue and note the calls from neighbors reporting the woman have become very frequent.
The woman has four active warrants for failing to show up to court in four separate cases. But her citations are for two class B misdemeanors and two infractions. Police say even if she was booked into jail on those outstanding warrants, she would likely be released just a short time later.
Unified Police Lt. Melody Cutler says her department is trying to develop a long-term solution to the issue. Part of that includes coordinating with the department's mental health unit.
"Unified police strives to serve all community members with equality and compassion. We are committed to finding solutions that will foster safe and healthy neighborhoods. We are committed to eliminating racism in our community and will act within our legal authority to accomplish this goal," the department said in a prepared statement Tuesday afternoon. Unified police on Tuesday also dispelled a rumor that the woman was once a practicing attorney in Utah.
On Monday, the city of Midvale responded to the viral videos of the woman on X, formerly Twitter:
"We've seen the video, share your disgust, & condemn the behavior. (The woman) has never been employed by Midvale City, & we would not tolerate such behavior from any employee. Privacy rules prohibit us from sharing details, but authorities are treating the matter seriously."
Mayor Marcus Stevenson echoed many of those comments in a statement on his own Facebook page, during which he emphasized that the woman is not a Midvale employee.
"It's hard to describe how disgusted I feel learning that one of our Midvale families is living in a situation where they are dealing with regular racist tirades and feeling their safety is at risk. To be clear, racism has no place in our community. Everyone should feel welcomed here, and our community's actions should back that up. I'm in contact with our city management, police department, and working to speak directly to the victims so we can work on a solution that provides justice for this family," he said.
Utah Rep. Andrew Stoddard, D-Midvale, also took to social media on Monday to acknowledge he is monitoring the situation.
"I was made aware of this situation tonight. I have been in contact with local officials and I'm working with them to hopefully resolve the situation quickly. This type of behavior and language is abhorrent and has no place in Midvale or anywhere."
