The Manhattan District Attorney’s office has indicted a woman on seven felony hate crime charges connected to several anti-Asian attacks in New York City’s Upper Westside, CNN reports.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. announced the indictment on Wednesday, May 31, in a press release.
According to the press release, 29-year-old Camilla Rodriguez, has been charged “in two New York State Supreme Court indictments with Assault in the Second Degree as a Hate Crime, six counts of Assault in the Third Degree as a Hate Crime, and six counts of Aggravated Harassment in the Second Degree, covering six different attacks against Asian victims.”
“Hate and harassment have absolutely no place on the streets of Manhattan and New Yorkers of all backgrounds deserve to feel safe,” said D.A. Bragg in the press release. “We will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute these types of biased, violent attacks. My thoughts are with the victims as they continue to heal.”
According to CNN, the attacks took place from March 16 to May 11. In one instance on March 22, Rodriguez slapped an Asian woman and continued to punch her after she fell to the ground.
CNN reached out to Rodriguez’s attorney at The Legal Aid Society. The group declined to comment.
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