Man Arrested On Hate Crime Charges For Threatening Elderly Asian Woman in NYC
By Grace Kim
A man, 48, has been arrested for harassing an elderly Asian woman, 65, in Midtown Manhattan over the weekend, according to police.
Bobby Eli was arrested one day after the incident occurred on Friday and has been charged with second-degree aggravated harassment and third-degree menacing. Both are being counted as hate crimes, police said.
The East Harlem resident reportedly approached the victim on W. 40th Street, between Seventh and Eighth avenues, at 4 p.m. and began hurling racist insults at her, according to WINS.
The suspect made comments such as, “You stupid Chinese blue hair. You stupid Chinese b****,” and, “Why you have blue hair, b****?”
He also threatened the woman by swinging around unknown objects toward her before running away. Although the victim wasn’t injured, she feared for her safety.
Police were able to identify the man from a photo the woman managed to capture.
According to a Manhattan District Attorney spokesperson, Eli was arraigned on Sunday afternoon and his bail was set at $1, NBC reported.
The arrest was made on the same day community members in New York City rallied against the rise of anti-Asian violence.
Activists at the demonstration advocated for building “community and solidarity” to end discrimination rather than increasing police activity.
Feature Image via NYPD Hate Crimes
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