Suspect Accused of Punching Korean American Woman at Skate Park in Tustin Faces Hate Crime Charge
An 18-year-old woman
Jenna Dupuy, who is of Korean and Puerto Rican descent, was at the Tustin Legacy Skatepark to teach a morning art class. She was approached by a man who made suggestive comments before eventually assaulting her.
Authorities later identified the attacker as Jauhar Tajuddin Shuaib, 42, according to CBS Los Angeles.
Shuaib called Dupuy a “commie bitch,” a “North Korean whore” and a “nuclear terrorist” for three hours, she shared in an Instagram post.
After the art class ended, Dupuy roller-skated with friends. One of them, who is a minor, shared that Shuaib also verbally harassed her in a similar manner.
“I felt a need to protect her as NO ONE should ever be subjected to that type of inappropriate behavior,” Dupuy said.
After standing up for her friend, Shuaib punched Dupuy in the stomach. He continued to attack her and tore off her shirt, even after she pepper-sprayed him.
Shuaib fled the scene before authorities arrived. He was located and taken into custody shortly after, KTLA 5 reported.
He has been charged with a hate crime, assault, sexually motivated annoyance, assault in a public park, loitering and disturbing the peace.
According to Dupuy, bystanders did not intervene until she sustained injuries. One stranger gave her a shirt to cover herself.
Although others eventually helped Dupuy following the assault, the incident never should have happened, she wrote.
“This incident was motivated by hate against my race and gender,” she said. “When you make jokes about the history of my country, when white supremacists feel entitled to meddle in the politics of MY country after dividing it in two, leveling it with bombs, and enslaving and fetishizing its women, this is the result.”
“I shared this to my Instagram less then 24 hrs after my attack for one reason: I will not be silent about what happened to me, and what has subsequently done to my family and community.”
Dupuy was treated for a concussion, a right ankle fracture and a chip fracture of her left scapula while at the hospital last Sunday, according to a GoFundMe campaign created for her.
The money raised for the campaign will help pay for community self-defense and bystander intervention training class, therapy and Dupuy’s medical bills.
“Our communities’ complacency for anti-Asian violence and the dehumanization/fetishization of Asian diasporic peoples who are affected by patriarchal violence allowed this attack to happen,” the page says.
Anyone who has also been harassed by Shuaib is urged to contact Tustin police detective Eric Haug at (714) 573-3246. Anyone with additional information or videos is also encouraged to reach out.
Feature Image via @jenna.dupuy
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