NYC woman gets 7 hate crime charges for string of alleged violent anti-Asian attacks
A woman was indicted on seven felony hate crime charges for multiple alleged attacks on people of Asian descent in New York City, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. announced on Wednesday.
Camila Rodriguez, 29, was charged in two New York State Supreme Court indictments with assault in the second degree as a hate crime, six counts of assault in the third degree as a hate crime and six counts of aggravated harassment in the second degree, according to a press release.
Rodriguez allegedly assaulted at least six Asian victims in separate unprovoked attacks from March 16 to May 11, with all six incidents taking place within blocks from each other.
The first attack allegedly occurred at the southwest corner of Cathedral Parkway and Broadway on March 16.
Rodriguez was accused of kicking a Korean woman in the leg as she was walking toward the stairs into the subway, leaving the victim in pain.
Six days later, Rodriguez allegedly pulled the hair of a Chinese woman on West 108th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue. When the victim turned around and spoke in Mandarin, the accused allegedly slapped the woman in the face before punching her when they fell to the ground.
On April 8, the 29-year-old allegedly once again pulled the hair of another Chinese individual who was waiting to be seated at a restaurant on Amsterdam Avenue between West 106th and West 107th Streets.
When one of the victim’s friends intervened and pushed Rodriguez away, she allegedly pushed her electric scooter into him, bruising his leg.
Rodriguez was also accused of trying to physically assault a waitress at the restaurant who appeared to be of Asian descent. The waitress had reportedly come out to tell the group that their table was ready when Rodriguez assaulted her. When the victim’s friend intervened once again, he was struck by Rodriguez’s semi-closed fist.
On April 21, Rodriguez allegedly attacked a Filipino woman while she was walking home along the northeast corner of West 104th Street and Broadway.
According to prosecutors, Rodriguez grabbed her hair and pulled her to the ground before punching her in the face multiple times. The victim suffered bruises and cuts on her face and wrist.
Six days later, the accused reportedly spat on a Chinese person on West 110th Street and Broadway. Finally, she allegedly slapped the face of a Korean man who was smoking near her car by the southeast corner of West 109th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.
“Hate and harassment have absolutely no place on the streets of Manhattan and New Yorkers of all backgrounds deserve to feel safe,” D.A. Bragg said in the press release. “We will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute these types of biased, violent attacks. My thoughts are with the victims as they continue to heal.”
Police urge victims or witnesses to hate crimes to report incidents to the Hate Crimes Unit at 212-335-3100.
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