Police in New York arrested a 48-year-old suspect they said attacked an Asian subway rider after they bumped into each other and charged him with several hate crimes.
NBC New York reports authorities charged Christian Jeffers with assault, aggravated harassment, and menacing as hate crimes.
Jeffers told reporters as police led her away that the victim “pushed him.”
According to Fox5, police said Jeffers “became irate and aggressive and struck the victim in the head with a hammer before fleeing.”
Medics took the victim to Bellevue Hospital where doctors have not released any information about his condition.
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The arrest comes just weeks after Mayor Eric Adams launched a safety initiative to decrease crime on public transit. Police, mental health and social workers have been sent to subway stations and are charged with convincing the homeless and mentally ill to accept housing and support.
Jeffers has been arrested 48 times dating back to 2007, the New York Post reported. She had just been released from prison in June after serving a six year sentence for second-degree robbery.
A week ago, police picked her up for petty larceny.
“I didn’t see the hammer. I just saw (her) reaching into a bag, pulled something out,” he continued. “It happened, like, too quick for me to react,” the victim who did not want to be identified told the Post.
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