A man is facing multiple charges — including a hate crime charge — in connection with an assault and robbery of an elderly Asian man in Sunnyvale, California, last Sunday.
The incident occurred at around 10:49 a.m. at Lakewood Park, where the victim had been exercising at the time.
Jesse Fausto Correa, 29, allegedly confronted the victim, telling him to “Go back to your country” and “Keep walking.” He then punched the senior six times in the face while continuing to yell “Go back to your country,” police said.
When the victim dropped his cellphone, Correa allegedly picked it up and fled the scene. Officers who were called to the area arrived on time and arrested Correa at a nearby location.
Correa was booked into the Santa Clara County Jail on robbery, battery, felonious elder abuse and hate crime charges. He is currently held at the Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas on an $81,000 bail, CBS Bay Area reported.
“Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety is firmly committed to safeguarding the rights of all persons to be free of fear, intimidation, and acts of violence,” Phan S. Ngo, chief of Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, said in a statement. “Hate is abhorrent. It has no place in a civil society and will not be tolerated. We will do everything we can to support our victim and hold the suspect accountable.”
The victim reportedly sustained minor injuries that did not require medical attention.
The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with further information is asked to call the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety at 408-730-7110.
Featured Image via mok
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