Asian woman’s attacker charged with hate crime assault in New York

A New York man previously convicted of murdering his mother has been arrested and charged with assaulting a 65-year-old Asian woman in a hate crime.

The attack was captured on security video that went viral around the world amid a rise in anti-Asian incidents.

Police identified Brandon Elliot, 38, as the man seen in the video kicking the woman to the ground and then kicking her several more times on Monday in Manhattan. According to sources she suffered a fractured pelvis.

Elliot, who was on lifetime parole after serving a prison term for murdering his mother, was arrested without incident at his residence in New York City on Tuesday, police said.

Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance said at a news briefing, “Elliot is accused of brutally shoving, kicking and stomping a 65-year-old mother to the ground after telling her that she didn’t belong here. There is no place for these atrocious acts of anti-Asian violence in New York.”

Vance added that his office has more than a dozen ongoing investigations into apparent hate incidents against members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community since the start of this year, reports Reuters.

The New York Times identified the victim of the attack as Vilma Kari, an immigrant from the Philippines, citing a law enforcement source. An NYPD spokesman declined to confirm her identity.

“We want to extend our sincere well wishes and speedy recovery to the elderly lady for this unnecessary assault,” Wellington Chen, executive director of New York City’s Chinatown Partnership, said on Wednesday. “Hope this arrest gives her and her family a bit of relief.”

In the attack, a security video showed witnesses inside the lobby of a building apparently watching the assault but making no effort to help the woman. One man closed the front door while the attacker walked away.

The Brodsky Organization, which owns the building, said it has suspended two employees while it investigates their response to the attack.

New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang tweeted on Tuesday, “Had the men watching stepped in, I believe it would’ve helped the woman a lot. We need to be the ones leading and doing something to help, not standing by or closing the door on someone.”

New York police also are investigating an assault last week on a subway train against a young man who appeared to be Asian in another widely viewed video.

Police commissioner Dermot Shea said the victim, who was left unconscious after he was pummelled and choked, has yet to report the crime.