The man accused of punching a 67-year-old Asian American woman 125 times plead guilty to first-degree assault as a hate crime in court on Tuesday.
Prosecutors say Tammel Esco, 42, punched the victim more than 100 times in the head as she entered her New York apartment building on March 11. According to NBC News, Esco allegedly called the woman “Asian b*tch.”
The incident was caught on video and went viral on social media. The victim, who is a Filipino American woman, was treated for brain bleeding and multiple face fractures, Connecticut News 12 reports.
Esco has been held without bail since his arrest. On Tuesday he pleaded guilty to first-degree assault in Westchester County court. According to a press release, he agreed to 17 1/2 years in state prison and five years of post-release supervision as a part of the plea deal.
“Today’s agreement secures justice for the brave victim who endured the shocking attack and its aftermath, and for a community impacted by the trauma of this hate-driven violence,” DA Miriam E. Rocah said in a statement. “I want to assure every community in Westchester County that my office will use every resource at our disposal to fight hate and hold perpetrators accountable. In addition to vigorously prosecuting these cases, we are continuing our work with our government partners and the community at large to offer training, education and outreach related to hate crimes and bias incidents.”
AsAmNews is published by the non-profit, Asian American Media Inc. Follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support our efforts to produce diverse content about the AAPI communities. We are supported in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.
