HAZEL PARK, Mich. – A Hazel Park man is facing multiple charges, including a felony hate crime, after police say he launched a racially motivated and violent outburst against his Black neighbors, which was witnessed by others on the block.
Martin Sitto, 43, was arraigned July 1 in Hazel Park’s 43rd District Court. He’s charged with:
- Hate crime using force, a five-year felony
- Assaulting/resisting/obstructing a police officer
- Assault/assault and battery
- Trespassing
His bond was set at $25,000, and he is not allowed to contact the alleged victims.
Hazel Park police said the outburst happened June 29, 2025, on Tawas Avenue near 9 Mile Road. They were called to the location twice.
Police tell Local 4 they have dealt with Sitto many times in the past and he has a history of violent and belligerent behavior.
“I’ve been here for about a year, and it was peaceful until he came back,” one neighbor said. “He would shout things like, ‘Go back to Africa,’ and make threats that were violent and disturbing -- not just once, but constantly.”
Neighbors said police first arrived that afternoon because Sitto was yelling and trespassing onto another neighbor’s property. They said police warned Sitto to stay away from the victims’ home, but just hours later, they were called back around 9 p.m. to find Sitto allegedly screaming profanities, using racial slurs, and behaving aggressively.
According to one neighbor, Sitto began throwing tree branches and punches at a Black woman, but she managed to punch him in the face.
Another neighbor attempted to intervene, but Sitto allegedly turned on him and began throwing punches and damaging property.
A woman told Local 4 she couldn’t sit back and watch the attack unfold. She said Sitto had previously yelled racist and homophobic slurs into the neighborhood and made repeated threats to her, including that he would “slit people’s throats.” She said he even threatened her mother.
That neighbor said that on the day of the attack, Sitto was seen spitting on and throwing punches at his Black neighbors. She said she witnessed him run toward the front of the home holding a stick and claiming the “white race was ending,” while also attempting to persuade her to lie to police on his behalf.
“He asked me to tell the police that they assaulted him,” she said. “I think he assumed because I’m white, I’d be on his side. But I knew what I saw. I wasn’t going to let him get away with it.”
She said she tried to help the victims by grabbing something to wipe spit off one of them and then saw Sitto lunge again. That’s when she said she physically intervened to hold him back.
“I didn’t really think twice,” she said. “I felt like he had the potential to cause considerable harm. Even if I were to end up having a black eye, it would be better that I’m hurt and holding him back than having him constantly hurting these people just for existing and because of the color of their skin.”
When police arrived, neighbors said Sitto resisted arrest, swung at an officer, and made threats against residents, police, and government officials in multiple cities. Officers were eventually able to subdue and cuff him.
“He was completely unhinged,” the neighbor said. “Shouting threats about Hazel Park, Royal Oak, Troy ... saying everyone was going to die. He didn’t stop, even when he was in handcuffs.”
Another neighbor called Sitto a “danger to society,” and said Sitto showed up at her home and punched her husband “for no reason.” She said his violent and chaotic behavior has been escalating.
Hazel Park police said Sitto appears to have mental health and substance abuse issues. Court records show Sitto has previous charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, domestic violence, and felonious assault.
Sitto is scheduled for a probable cause hearing at 8:45 a.m. Tuesday July 29, 2025.
Hazel Park police urge anyone who has witnessed or encountered this type of situation not to engage, if possible. Instead, call 911 immediately, stay in your home, and lock your doors until officers arrive.
Anyone with additional information about this case is asked to call Hazel Park police at 248-542-6161.