Foley Sq. rally seeks justice for hate crime victims
BY DEAN MOSES
On the day the suspect in
a violent anti-Asian hate
crime in Midtown faced his
arraignment, the Chinese American
Citizens Alliance of Greater New York
(CACGNY) rallied outside New York
Criminal Court on Monday morning
demanding safer streets.
The brutal March 29 attack on
Vilma Kari, an elderly Filipino American
woman, sent new shockwaves
throughout New York City, which has
already been shaken by a dramatic
recent surge in bias crimes targeting
Asian New Yorkers. The suspect in the
attack, Brandon Elliot, was scheduled
for a virtual appearance on Monday
morning at Lower Manhattan’s criminal
court.
Though the proceedings were confi
ned to a computer, a crowd of Asian
community leaders and concerned
citizens gathered to demand at the
courthouse to demand that justice be
served.
Made up primarily of Asian Americans,
the group displayed signs stating
that “The hate is a virus” and “Brandon
Elliot should never been released from
jail” (Elliot had been paroled in 2019
more than a decade after his conviction
on a second-degree murder charge).
Like others at previous rallies
against anti-Asian crimes, the crowd
called for safer streets and an increased
NYPD presence. However, they also
blamed the “defund the police” movement
for an increased uptick in crimes
facing the AAPI community.
“The hate is a virus,” according to one sign.
“This attack would not have happened
if he was not released, it makes
absolutely no sense that they released
somebody who killed his own mother
and let him walk free in the streets with
little or no follow up or social services,”
said Phil Wong, the CACGNY President,
at the rally.
Although the anti-Asian attacks have
been dominating the media as of late,
many at the rally felt as though other
New Yorkers as a whole are also under
attack due to a fl ailing criminal justice
system. They also referred to the rise
in anti-Semitic crimes over the past few
years, and how many Jewish New Yorkers
have said they feel unsafe walking
the streets and riding the subways as
well.
“It is at this time we are seeing an increase
in crime against Asian and other
PHOTO BY DEAN MOSES
groups such as the attack last week on
a Jewish family right here in Lower
Manhattan. If we don’t speak up now
and bring an end to it immediately it
will just grow and grow,” said Avi Cyperstein,
a candidate for City Council.
Elliot’s brutal attack on Kari was
even more notable for the words he said
during the attack: “You don’t belong
here.” With that in mind, Wong looked
up at the New York Criminal Court
building and said: “Brandon Elliott will
appear in this criminal court and to
him we say Vilma belongs here! Asians
belong here!”
Mayoral candidate Curtis Silwa,
and members of the Guardian Angels,
also joined the rally to emphasize their
support for an increase in policing and
the fi ght against hate crimes in New
York City.
Self-pleasing subway creep sought by police
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
The NYPD is looking
for a creep who masturbated
on a train in
Manhattan last week.
According to police, at
8:15 p.m. on March 29 a
26-year-old woman was
riding a southbound 1 train.
When the train reached the
Franklin Street subway
station, an unknown man
in the train car pulled out
his genitals and began to
masturbate in clear view of
the victim.
The suspect left the train
at the Chambers Street station.
There were no injuries
as a result of the incident.
The NYPD released
a cellphone photo of the
suspect, who is described
PHOTO COURTESY OF NYPD
as a dark-skinned man with
black hair, brown eyes,
a mustache and beard,
standing 5 feet, 8 inches
tall, weighing 160 pounds
and sporting black eyes.
He was last seen wearing a
blue jacket with the letters
“Milano” on the sides, blue
sweatpants, black boots and
blue sweatpants.
Anyone with information
in regard to this incident is
asked to call the NYPD’s
Crime Stoppers Hotline at
1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or
for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA
(74782). The public can also
submit their tips by logging
onto the Crime Stoppers
websiteon Twitter @NYPDTips.
All calls are strictly
confi dential.
Subway spitter
sought for hate
crime on 5 train
PHOOT COURTESY OF NYPD
The suspect flees the from the 42nd St. station.
BY HAZEL SHAHGHOLI
Anti-Asian hate crimes continue to plague New
York City as an Asian woman and her three
children — a 9-year-old and two 10-year-old
twins — were subject to racial slurs and destruction
of property.
The family were trapped on a subway train as the
events unfolded as the train was in motion, between
stops, leaving them in a situation from which there was
no immediate escape.
The crime took place on March 30 at 2:30 p .m.
onboard a southbound 5 train en route to the 42nd
St. / Times Sq. Station.
The level of hate of the perpetrator led him to snatch
the victims cell phone out of her hand, kicking it out
of the emergency doors while the train was in motion
and spitting twice in the direction of the woman and
her kids, authorities report.
The racist exited the subway and fl ed westbound on
West 41st Street toward 8th Ave.
Police and EMS were called and the family were
transported to Mount Sinai West were they were placed
under observation but described as in stable condition.
NYPD have released photographs and a physical
description. The hideous hate-monger is described as
a dark-skinned man approximately 50-55 years old. He
is estimated to be 6’ tall, weigh 150-160 lbs. He was
also curiously wearing one white black sock on his left
foot and a white sock on his right foot.
NYPD released no details of whether or not fellow
subway riders attempted to intervene and help the
woman and her children and the investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked
to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS
(8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public
can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers
website atWWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, or
on Twitter @NYPDTips.All calls are strictly confi dential.
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