By Louis Chan, AsAmNews National Correspondent
AsAmNews has learned Las Vegas police Saturday arrested a woman seen screaming on video and accused of punching a 6-year-old Korean American boy in the neck.
The Clark County Detention Center confirms to AsAmNews that Shelly Hill is being held on battery, hate and bias crime charges.
The boy’s mother who asked only to be identified by her TikTok handle @uhmmajo says it happened during a stroll July 4th weekend near the entrance of the Shop at Crystals on the Las Vegas Strip.
“My husband was walking with my son holding his hand,” she told AsAmNews. “I was with my two-year-old daughter pushing her in a stroller. She (Hill) came from behind and punched my son in the neck.”
She said her husband grabbed his son and shielded him from the woman while yelling at her. She said Hill began yelling back.
“She was yelling things like ‘I know what you people do. You people eat your children. It’s your fault.”‘
She then walked away. The husband comforted his children while she followed the woman as she saw a security guard approach. That’s when she pulled out her cell phone camera to document the incident.
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@uhmmajo described her son as OK physically, but torn mentally. She said the family tries not to discuss the incident in front of him, but when a detective called her about the case and he overheard the conversation, it upset him. Yet at the same time she says her son has also expressed relief that the woman hit him and not his younger sister.
“I’m so relieved,” she said about the arrest. “I don’t want her near any children. She could have done more damage when she hit my son. Especially while saying racial slurs.”
She showed her video to Las Vegas police who immediately recognized the woman as someone they’ve dealt with in the past.
The Shops At Crystals tells AsAmnews security had escorted the woman out of the mall for a separate incident before it was even aware of the incident involving the boy.
@Uhmmajo tells AsAmNews mall employees say they saw the same woman earlier harassing a Hispanic family and spitting at a man.
Yet @Uhmmajo says she’s been the target of “victim blaming.” She’s seen hateful comments from people who accuse her of being a bad parent and questioning why she didn’t beat up the suspect.
She showed her video to police who she says immediately recognized the suspect as someone they’ve dealt with in the past.
Hill is being held on $3,000 bail and was scheduled to make her first court appearance Sunday.
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