Man arrested after attack on Asian woman in New York

NYPD

New York police charged a homeless man on Wednesday with violently beating a 60-year-old Asian woman, a video of which had deeply shocked against the backdrop of a spate of attacks against the Asian minority in the United States.

A man, identified by police as Brandon Elliot, 38, was arrested Tuesday night and charged with "hate-motivated" assault after the attack on an Asian woman in New York. According to a spokesman for the New York police, he was staying in a hotel near Times Square, close to the scene of the crime, which now houses homeless people.

Several hotels in the area, which has been emptied of tourists since the pandemic began, have been turned into shelters in order to comply with distancing rules.  

Help identify the below individual wanted in connection to an assault. On Monday, March 29th at 11:40 AM, at 360 West 43rd St, a female, 65, was approached by an unidentified male who punched and kicked her about the body and made anti-Asian statements. Info?\u260e\ufe0f1-800-577-TIPS. pic.twitter.com/gMdWRczsFU - NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) March 30, 2021

The suspect has a long criminal history: he had been jailed from 2002 to 2019 for stabbing his mother to death while his five-year-old sister watched, the police spokesman said. 

The attack against the 65-year-old Asian woman, who was going to church, took place shortly before noon on Monday. On the images, taken by surveillance cameras from inside a building, we see her walking when, suddenly, the man approaches her, makes her fall to the ground with a first kick, then strikes her several other blows to the head before moving away. Police said Tuesday that the assailant had used anti-Asian slurs against her.

Police posted the video and photos of the attacker on Twitter, and called on the public to help identify him. Residents recognized a local homeless man and led police to the hotel.

WANTED in connection to an assault. On Monday, March 29th at 11:40 AM, at 360 West 43rd St, a female, 65, was approached by an unidentified male who punched and kicked her about the body and made anti-Asian statements. Have Info? Call or DM\u260e\ufe0f1-800-577-TIPS. Up to $2500 reward. pic.twitter.com/6gb5NDCZCA

- NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) March 30, 2021

The victim, whose identity has not been released, was hospitalized with a broken pelvis and multiple injuries, police said. She has since been released from the hospital, according to multiple media outlets.

The violence of the attack, added to the passivity of two men attending the scene from inside a building - one of them even closing the door of the building rather than going to help the woman left on the ground - had caused many outraged reactions, among many local elected officials until Joe Biden.

The mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, had described the attack as "horrible" and "disgusting". The governor of the state, Andrew Cuomo, lamented that violence against the Asian community is becoming "an epidemic in our state and our country".

This is a disgusting display of both hatred and indifference. We cannot allow this violence to continue. New Yorkers cannot stand by silently while a fellow New Yorker is attacked. We MUST stand together as one community to #StopAsianHate once and for all. https://t.co/YiYpHirHUy

- Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) March 30, 2021

President Biden had announced in a tweet on Tuesday "additional measures" to address anti-Asian violence, including a "Justice Department initiative."  

New York City, like other U.S. metropolises, has seen an increase in crimes targeting people of Asian descent in recent months. Many blame former President Donald Trump, who frequently referred to Covid-19 as a "Chinese virus" or "Chinese plague." 

On March 15, a man shot and killed eight people, including six Asian women, in the Atlanta area. 

New York police have since increased their presence in neighborhoods with large Asian populations. Volunteer patrols have also been formed in some neighborhoods to reassure the public. 

The first American metropolis counts more than one million inhabitants with Asian origins. In the week of March 15-21 alone, New York City police recorded nine "hate crimes," compared to three in the same period in 2020, according to official statistics.

Source: AFP