Man Charged With Hate Crimes for THREE Separate Attacks on Asian New Yorkers

April 8, 2021

A man has been arrested and charged with hate crimes for three separate attacks against Asian Americans in New York in the span of one month.

Joseph Russo, 27, was most recently accused of assaulting a 77-year-old Asian man.

The incident occurred at 11:15 a.m. while the victim stood outside the J&R NY Supermarket on Avenue U near East 14th street on Monday, according to CBS New York. Security footage shows Russo shoving the elderly man to the ground.

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The victim sustained a bruise on his left arm but refused medical treatment, according to the New York Post.

Russo, who was arrested on Wednesday, was charged with aggravated harassment as a hate crime and assault as a hate crime for this first incident.

Prior to Monday’s attack, Russo assaulted a 32-year-old Asian woman on Kings Highway on March 22. He grabbed her and pulled her hair unprovoked before fleeing the scene without saying a word or stealing anything, police said.

The victim, who developed neck and head pain, did not seek medical treatment.

Russo was charged with assault as a hate crime and harassment as a hate crime for this second incident.

The 27-year-old was also accused of attacking a 64-year-old Asian woman in Brooklyn on March 5. Russo allegedly pushed this elderly victim to the ground.

For this third incident, he was charged with harassment as a hate crime and assault as a hate crime, according to WABC.

Feature Images via New York Police Department

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