Charges against an Atlanta man who allegedly attacked a Muslim food delivery driver have been upgraded to aggravated assault and false imprisonment from misdemeanor battery, reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
29-year-old Sonya Kristina King, a food deliverer for DoorDash, said that she entered the home of 55-year-old Rick Painter to deliver his lunch, according to Fox32. As she tried to leave, Painter grabbed her niqab and also tried to grab her neck after telling her that he was “Jesus.” In self defense, King hit Painter’s face and body repeatedly with her keys.
Painter originally faced a charge of misdemeanor battery and was held on a $5,000 bond. The Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations argued that the charge was too light.
“We call on law enforcement authorities to pursue tougher charges against Ronald Painter, who did not simply commit battery. He’s a 6-foot-tall man who allegedly tried to strangle a 5-foot-tall woman to death with her own religious attire,” said Edward Ahmed Mitchell, executive director of CAIR-Georgia, according to Fox 5 San Diego.
Painter now faces charges of battery, aggravated assault, and false imprisonment charges. Fox 5 Atlanta reported his bond was raised to $20,000. He is due in court on May 23.
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