A man in Milford, Connecticut has been charged with a hate crime after allegedly berating another man for wearing a mask and demanding that he “go back to China.”
Joseph Rohrig, 38, was driving in the area of Hill Street and West Town Street on March 30 when he supposedly pulled up in front of the victim and began his racist tirade.
After the verbal attack, Rohrig reversed his vehicle into a U-turn and pointed it at the victim, who then called law enforcement.
Rohrig was identified with the help of the victim and arrested without incident on April 1, according to WFSB.
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He has been charged with second-degree harassment and third-degree intimidation based on bigotry or bias. Rohrig admitted to approaching the victim but denied making racial comments, according to Milford Police Officer Brianna McDonald.
“We don’t stand for this. And we’re here for the community of every race, ethnicity, gender, etc.,” McDonald told WNPR. “We just encourage people to give us a call right away so we can handle it. We don’t want this to happen as much as the community doesn’t either.”
The victim, who was walking his dog at the time of the incident, did not sustain any physical injuries, according to AP News. He felt threatened because of what he looked like, he told Milford Police.
Rohrig was released on a promise to appear in court on May 10.
Feature Image via Milford Police Department
