Man pleads guilty to hate crime attack on senior Asian woman in NYC
By Carl Samson
The man accused of brutally attacking an elderly Asian woman in Midtown Manhattan in 2021 has pleaded guilty to assault as a hate crime and weapon possession charges, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced on Thursday.
Catch up: Brandon Elliot, 41, allegedly approached Vilma Kari, then 65, outside an apartment building at 360 West 43rd Street on March 29, 2021, only to knock her to the ground and repeatedly stomp on her head and body. He allegedly told the victim — a Filipino American — “F*ck you, you don’t belong here.”
A Good Samaritan tried to intervene but Elliot threatened them with a knife before fleeing the scene, the District Attorney’s Office said. Kari suffered multiple injuries from the incident, including a fractured pelvis and contusions to her head and body.
Guilty plea: Elliot, who was arrested two days after the incident, pleaded not guilty in May 2021 to initial charges of two counts of assault as a hate crime and one count of attempted assault as a hate crime. On Thursday, he pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree assault as a hate crime and one count of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
“Brandon Elliot brutally and repeatedly assaulted a 65-year-old mother in a hate-fueled attack that shook our city,” District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement. “Everyone deserves to be safe and know they belong here, regardless of who they are. Anyone who commits acts of violence driven by hate will be prosecuted. If you have been a victim or witness to a hate crime or bias incident, please call our Office at 212-335-3100.”
What’s next: Elliot’s sentencing is set to Jan. 3, 2024. He faces 15 years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision.
Elliot previously served 16 years in prison for stabbing his mother to death in 2002. He was released in 2019.
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