arrest
Man arrested for choking and beating teen Asian students in Philadelphia subway
- Torey Egypt Grier, 27, is facing assault and related charges for allegedly attacking two Asian high school students in Philadelphia’s subway system earlier this month.
- The victims, aged 17 and 13, were on their way to school when the unprovoked attacks took place, according to reports.
- On Sept. 9, Grier allegedly grabbed the 17-year-old student by the throat and slammed her to the ground.
- Four days later, he allegedly punched the 13-year-old student multiple times.
- Investigators are still looking into possible hate crime charges.
A man wanted for attacking two Asian high school students in separate incidents in Philadelphia’s subway system has been arrested on Thursday morning, according to authorities.
Torey Egypt Grier, 27, is now facing assault charges for the reported attacks on Sept. 9 and Sept. 13, which were captured on surveillance videos and purportedly unprovoked.
Man arrested, then released without bail, for destroying Gandhi statue in NYC
- Sukhpal Singh, 27, was arrested for his alleged role in vandalizing a Mahatma Gandhi statue outside the Shri Tulsi Mandir in Queens, New York City, on Aug. 16.
- Surveillance footage of the incident shows five people pushing over the statue and taking turns smashing it with a sledgehammer.
- The statue was found decapitated with all four limbs severed, along with the words “Kutta Dog” graffitied on its back.
- Singh was charged with criminal mischief as a hate crime, criminal mischief in the second degree and aggravated harassment in the first degree.
- He was released without bail following his arraignment on Sunday.
A man has been arrested and charged in connection to the early morning vandalism of a Mahatma Gandhi statue in Queens, New York City, last month.
Sukhpal Singh, 27, was apprehended on Saturday for the Aug. 16 incident at the Shri Tulsi Mandir, a Hindu temple located at 103-24 111th St. in South Richmond Hill.
Teacher in Japan arrested for mixing bleach into school lunch
- Ayana Hanzawa, a 24-year-old teacher in Japan, was arrested on Friday on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business.
- Hanzawa allegedly poured bleach into a container of curry served to students at the Mizutani Higashi Elementary School in Fujimi City on Sept. 15.
- A student who was in charge of serving the food noticed the odd odor of the container and reported it to a homeroom teacher.
- Hanzawa reportedly confessed to the charges made against her during the investigation.
A teacher in Japan has been arrested on suspicion of mixing chlorine bleach into a school lunch at an elementary school.
Ayana Hanzawa, 24, was arrested on Friday by Saitama Prefectural Police’s Higashi Iruma Police Station on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business.
Tibetan man arrested for possessing photos of Dalai Lama as part of China’s Strike Hard campaign
- Karma Samdup of Nagqu county in Tibet was reportedly arrested on Aug. 12 after authorities discovered he was keeping pictures of the 14th Dalai Lama around his neck and in his car.
- The arrest was purportedly part of the Chinese government’s Strike Hard campaign, which targets advocates of Tibet's separation from China.
- A similar incident occurred on July 11 when another young Tibetan, identified as Youdon, was arrested after being found with the Dalai Lama’s picture.
- Two monks were detained incommunicado in September 2020 and sentenced to at least three years in prison, according to reports.
A Tibetan man was reportedly arrested under China’s Strike Hard campaign after he was found in possession of pictures of the Dalai Lama around his neck and in his car.
Karma Samdup of Nagqu county in Tibet was purportedly taken by Chinese authorities on Aug. 12 after police discovered that he was keeping pictures of Tibet’s Buddhist spiritual leader, who has been living in exile in India since 1959, around his neck and in his car.
Texas woman arrested after rant toward 4 Indian American women goes viral
- The Plano Texas Police Department arrested Esmeralda Upton, the woman who was filmed hurling racial slurs at four Indian American women in a parking lot, on Thursday.
- The incident occurred on Wednesday after Rani Banerjee went out for dinner in Plano with three of her friends. In a Facebook post, Banerjee said Upton approached them while they were heading back to their cars.
- In the video shared by Banerjee, Upton can be heard saying “We don’t want you here” to the women before eventually charging at the woman filming the incident.
- While one of Banarjee’s friends reports the incident to the authorities and calls their assailant a white woman, Upton can be heard saying, “No, I’m not white. I’m Mexican, and I paid my f*cking way here."
- “Everywhere I f*cking go, you Indians are f*cking everywhere,” Upton can be heard saying later on in the video. “Please, I’m trying to be civil here. If life is so great in India, why the f*ck are y’all here?”
- Upton is facing misdemeanor charges of assault causing bodily injury and terroristic threats, police said in a press release. She is currently held on a $10,000 bond.
A woman from Plano, Texas, has been arrested and charged after she went viral for hurling racial slurs at four Indian American women.
The Plano Texas Police Department identified the woman in the viral video as Esmeralda Upton. She was arrested on Thursday at around 3:50 p.m. and is facing misdemeanor charges of assault causing bodily injury and terroristic threats, police said in a press release. She is currently held on a $10,000 bond.
Illegal Las Vegas brothel allegedly run by an Asian woman saw nearly 200 visitors in 2 weeks
- Heng Van Ho and Yuxiang Tian were arrested on Aug. 17 for allegedly running an illegal brothel near the Las Vegas Strip since 2016.
- Las Vegas Metro police first received a tip about “possible illegal activities” at a house near Flamingo Road and Decatur Boulevard on June 30.
- One man who was reportedly seen leaving the house said he paid an Asian woman $200 for sex after responding to a Craigslist ad.
- Investigators counted nearly 200 men entering and exiting the residence in a span of two weeks in July, according to reports.
- The duo is facing charges of running a brothel, living off the earnings of prostitution, pandering and money laundering.
Two individuals have been arrested for allegedly running an illegal brothel near the Las Vegas Strip.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police first received a tip about “possible illegal activities” at a house near Flamingo Road and Decatur Boulevard on June 30. Shortly after, they managed to stop a car that had just come from the location, according to reports.
Honolulu police arrest man for deadly shooting of woman at Chinatown bus stop
- Tony Johnson, a 58-year-old man, was arrested on River Street in Honolulu’s Chinatown at around 2 a.m. on Tuesday.
- Johnson has been accused of murdering a 24-year-old woman at a bus stop in Chinatown on Aug. 19.
- The victim was reportedly with her husband when they got into an altercation with an unidentified man. Another man then showed up during the argument and shot the woman in the head, according to reports.
- As of Wednesday, Johnson has yet to be charged.
- He and the victim were acquaintances, according to Lt. Deena Thoemmes of the Honolulu Police Department’s Homicide Detail.
The Honolulu Police Department has arrested a man in connection with the deadly shooting that occurred at a Chinatown bus stop on Friday.
Tony Johnson, 58, was arrested on River Street in Honolulu’s Chinatown at around 2 a.m. on Tuesday on suspicion of second-degree murder and firearms offenses, according to police.
Teen arrested in connection to St. Paul hit-and-run that killed beloved Hmong woman
- A 15-year-old boy was arrested and charged on Aug. 16 for the hit-and-run crash that killed 70-year-old Phoua Thao Hang, according to the St. Paul Police’s announcement on Friday.
- On July 17, a stolen Kia Sportage SUV crashed into Hang and her husband’s vehicle near Forest Street and Magnolia Avenue East. Hang was pronounced dead at the scene.
- The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office has filed a petition against the teenager, which includes one count of criminal vehicular homicide and a motion for certification for the hit-and-run death.
- The suspect is scheduled for a hearing on Sept. 5 in Ramsey County juvenile court.
Police have arrested a teenage boy in connection to the St. Paul hit-and-run crash last month that killed a 70-year-old Hmong woman in Minnesota.
A 15-year-old boy was arrested and charged on Aug. 16 for the hit-and-run crash that killed Phoua Thao Hang, according to the St. Paul Police’s announcement on Friday.
Former Democratic California representative TJ Cox faces decades in prison if convicted of fraud charges
- The FBI arrested Terrance John "TJ" Cox, a former congressional representative of California, at around 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday on more than a dozen fraud-related charges.
- Cox, 59, is facing 15 counts of wire fraud, 11 counts of money laundering, one count of financial institution fraud and one count of campaign contribution fraud, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Tuesday.
- If convicted in the 28-count indictment, the former one-term California congressperson could face a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for wire fraud and money laundering.
- He could also face a maximum of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for wire fraud affecting a financial institution and financial institution fraud.
- “Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables,” the DOJ said. “The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Terrance John “TJ” Cox, a former congressional representative of California, is now facing dozens of fraud charges that could land him several years of jail time and fines worth hundreds of thousands of dollars if he is convicted.
The FBI arrested Cox, 59, of Fresno, California, at around 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday on various fraud-related charges.
NYC career criminal who punched Asian woman last year arrested for 42nd time for attack on MTA worker
- Alexander Wright, 49, has been arrested for beating MTA subway cleaner Anthony Nelson at the Pelham Bay Park Station last Thursday.
- Nelson, 35, was reportedly trying to stop Wright from harassing commuters when the assailant turned on him.
- Wright, who has been charged with assault and harassment, is the same man accused of sucker punching an Asian woman in Chinatown last year.
- Police sources say the latest incident marks Wright’s 42nd arrest.
- Nelson’s mother Lisa is calling for the maximum penalty for Wright.
A man charged for sucker punching an Asian woman in New York City’s Chinatown last year is back behind bars after allegedly attacking an MTA worker last week.
Alexander Wright, 49, is accused of beating subway cleaner Anthony Nelson at the Pelham Bay Park Station on the No. 6 line at around 8:40 a.m. last Thursday. Reports say Nelson confronted Wright, who had been harassing other customers.
Woman arrested for ‘sickening assault’ of 89-year-old man out for a walk in Vancouver’s Chinatown
- An 89-year-old man was walking in Vancouver’s Chinatown on Aug. 13 when he was approached by Patricia MacDonald, 58, who knocked him to the ground.
- The senior suffered minor injuries such as cuts and scrapes.
- MacDonald has been charged with assault and released from custody by the court, according to police.
- Vancouver Police Department officials said patrols in Chinatown have been increased in response to the community’s concerns regarding hate incidents and rising violence.
Police arrested a woman who assaulted an 89-year-old man in Chinatown in Vancouver, Canada.
The senior was walking alone along Main and Keefer streets in Chinatown when he was approached by Patricia MacDonald, 58, who knocked him to the ground at around 10:45 a.m. on Aug. 13, according to the Vancouver police.
Teen and 2 minors aged 11 and 13 arrested for violent assault on Asian American woman, 70, in SF
- Three assailants — aged 18, 13 and 11 — were arrested for the brutal robbery of a 70-year-old Asian American woman in San Francisco on July 31.
- Surveillance footage shows a group of attackers punching and kicking the victim in her apartment lobby before allegedly fleeing with her belongings.
- “They got really mad and pulled me down,” the 70-year-old victim, identified only as Mrs. Ren, told ABC7 News through an interpreter after the attack. “They used their fist to hit my head multiple times and then they pulled me down and kept kicking me.”
- A fourth assailant, aged 14, is still at large as of Monday.
- Darryl Moore, 18, has been charged with robbery, elder abuse, burglary, false imprisonment and conspiracy.
- The 13-year-old and 14-year-old attackers will face the same charges but will go through the juvenile justice system.
- Meanwhile, the 11-year-old assailant will be “a community issue” since he is too young to be charged, according to San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.
An 18-year-old man and two minors aged 13 and 11 have been arrested in connection with the brutal robbery of a 70-year-old Asian American woman in San Francisco late last month.
The incident, which was caught by a security camera, reportedly occurred in the lobby of an apartment complex in the 100 block of Francisco St. at around 5 p.m. on July 31. The group of attackers included a 14-year-old who remains at large.
