NJ Man Sentenced to 4 Years for Targeting Asian Woman, Children for Robbery

A man in Montgomery, New Jersey will face four years in state prison after chasing down a woman and her family in a robbery involving anti-Asian bias.

What happened: Michael Kibalo, 29, covered his face with a hooded sweatshirt and tried to steal a woman’s phone as he pointed an imitation rifle at her on March 10 in the area of Belle Glades Lane and Sleepy Hollow Lane, reported Patch.

Kibalo chased the woman and her two children when she refused to give up her phone before catching her and tried to snatch the phone out of her hands.
The woman fell as her family continued to flee to get help from a nearby contractor who was on the job and heard her screams.
A neighbor also opened her door for the family as Kibalo was taken into custody.
Before the man could reach the woman for a second time, a police officer arrived on the scene and ordered Kibalo to drop the imitation rifle multiple times before he complied.
Kibalo pleaded guilty on Sept. 24 to charges of second-degree robbery and third-degree bias intimidation, which authorities said was motivated by anti-Asian bias.

Not the first time: The Montgomery man also pleaded guilty to assaulting his parents with a shovel.

The initial incident happened weeks after Kibalo terrorized the woman and her family.
Filed by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, he also pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree aggravated assault.
Kibalo must serve at least 85% of his sentence without the possibility of parole.
Sentences in both cases will run concurrently.
“We’re committed to fully investigating and prosecuting bias crimes in New Jersey,” Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said in a statement via NJ.com. “As members of law enforcement and as a society, we need to push back against intolerance and hatred.”

Feature Image via Getty

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