A man was arrested on charges of spitting on and punching a Korean-American woman on a busy street of New York. The man has been charged with second-degree assault on an elderly woman. If proved, he can be jailed for seven years.
The victim is said to be an 83-year-old woman who was walking alone near a shopping centre when she was spit on and attacked by 40-year-old Glenmore Nembhard. Without any provocation he struck the woman so hard that she fell on the ground and lost consciousness. When she regained consciousness the man had fled the place.
The police have said that the man is homeless and is known to be a repeat offender. He has been arrested by White Plains cops at least four times in 2020 alone. The case has not yet been considered as a hate crime.
Family Shocked And Scared
The victim spoke to an affiliate of ABC channel and said that she was collecting cans and bottles when she was attacked outside a Nordstrom store at the Westchester Mall. She said that though she was bleeding she did not go to the hospital because she couldn't afford the treatment. The victim's daughter also spoke to the channel and said that her family was shocked by the incident. She said that she was afraid to go out and was also scared to send her children outside.
The attack that occurred on March 9 was reported as physical assault on an Asian American in Westchester County. The local branch of the civil rights group OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates leaned of the incident on March 12 and is following up with the case. The coordinator from the district attorney's hate crime group and the Westchester County Human Rights Commission have been informed of the same.
Westchester District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah released a statement and said: "Attacks like this one impact all of us. They create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation that keeps us from feeling safe and secure in our homes and communities."
"I urge everyone to report all hate crimes and bias incidents, even if you are not the victim, so that law enforcement can track and work to prevent these terrible acts," the statement read.
President Biden spoke about racial violence recently and said that Asian American and Pacific Islander communities have been attacked, harassed, blamed and scapegoated. "So many of them are fellow Americans. They're on the front lines of this pandemic, trying to save lives. And still, still, they're forced to live in fear for their lives, just walking down streets in America. It's wrong. It's un-American, and it must stop," Biden said denouncing racial attacks.
