A Southern California man is now facing hate crime charges three years after an attack on an Asian woman in Culver City, California that involved the use of racial slurs.
The attack happened on 1 a.m. on June 14, 2021, when authorities say Jesse Allen Lindsey asked a woman walking to work for a lighter or a cigarette, with the woman responding by saying that she did not smoke. Afterwards, according to the indictment, Lindsey followed her and proceeded to shout multiple racial obscenities such as “You [expletive] Asian guy, turn around”. He called the woman “Korean”, and then shouted “You [expletive] Asian guy, you don’t belong here”.
CBS News reports the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the indictment on May 29.
The attack was further captured on surveillance video, which shows Lindsey further yelling “You can’t say hi to a [expletive] White boy”, before punching the victim in the head, causing her to fall in the street and hit her head, while Lindsey continued to shout racial slurs and remarks.
The woman was taken by paramedics and hospitalized, where she received 11 stitches to patch up her face. As a result of the attack, the woman suffered injuries to the head and ear, leaving her unable to work for a month, and well as continued pain for about a year.
“The victim in this case was simply minding her own business when she was verbally abused and violently attacked based on nothing more than her appearance”, said Krysti Hawkins, acting assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office said in a statement to CBS. “The FBI is committed to protecting civil rights in the United States and will hold accountable anyone who is so driven by hate that they target innocent people because of their race.”.
West Side Today reports that according to the indictment, when Lindsey found out that authorities would be investigating the incident as a hate crime, he fled California, out for fear of further repercussions. Lindsey was charged for one count of committing a hate crime by a federal grand jury, a offense punishable by a maximum of 10 years in federal prison.
“Violence fueled by hate has no place in our society,”, said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “We live in one of the most diverse areas of the country, and that diversity brings us strength. Our community will stay united in condemning intolerance, and my office will not hesitate to investigate and prosecute those who harm others on account of bigotry.”.
Jason Sims, Chief of the Culver City police, said “The community we serve is rich in cultural diversity, and we are committed to maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for all”. Sims further added that, “Hate has no place in Culver City. I am extremely proud of the work done by the Culver City Police Department to identify and locate the suspect who is responsible for this violent hate crime.”.
Lindsey is currently in state prison for an unrelated charge, and is expected to appear in federal court sometime within the next few weeks. The case is currently being investigated by the FBI, with help from the Culver City Police Department.
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