2021
Catholic Education’s
Year of Renewal
Summit VIRTUAL EDITION
Celebrating our students, teachers,
staff and Parish communities.
JOIN US ONLINE AT
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April 21, 2021 - 7:00 pm
• Msgr David Cassato
VICAR FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
• Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello
VICAR FOR DEVELOPMENT
• Rev. Joseph Gibino
VICAR FOR EVANGELIZATION AND CATECHESIS
• Dr. Thomas Chadzutko
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOL SUPPORT SERVICES
OPENING PRAYER AND REMARKS FROM
Bishop Nicolas DiMarzio, Ph.D., D.D.
COURIER L 14 IFE, APRIL 9-15, 2021
An Asian-American
teen was attacked.
The cops never came.
Vanessa Chen speaks to at a rally against anti-Asian hate. Photo by Arthur de Gaeta
BY ROSE ADAMS
A man spit on and shoved an Asian-
American teenager in Bensonhurst in
mid-March, prompting her to call the
police. But according to the victim and
an eyewitness, the cops never arrived.
“We called 911. An hour went by,
and the cops didn’t show up,” said Gina
LaDelia, who witnessed the March 14 attack.
“I happened to see cops just driving
by. We fl agged them down, and she
fi led a report.”
Vanessa Chen, 16, said she was walking
near the corner of 18th Avenue and
68th Street sometime that afternoon
when she bumped into the mask-less assailant,
who yelled at her and spat in her
face.
The middle-aged man then grabbed
her neck and shoved her into the street,
Chen said at a March 29 rally about the
incident.
“As I was walking away, he pushed
me from behind using his arm on my
neck,” she said. “I do believe he was aiming
for me to fall in the street, where
there were cars.”
LaDelia was passing by when she
saw the attack, she said.
“I was walking with my seven-yearold,
and we were crossing the street, and
I happened to see a guy up in the young
girl’s face,” she said during the rally
held by local state Sen. Andrew Gounardes
and Councilman Justin Brannan.
“They exchanged words, and he literally
spit in her face, a lot.”
Chen said she believes the attack was
racially motivated.
“I believe I was targeted because I’m
Asian-American, because I’m an easy
target as a minor, someone who can’t
really defend herself,” she said. “I’m
scared to think that the cops never arrived,
I’m scared to think that the guy
got away, and I’m scared to think that
someone else may get hurt by him.”
A police spokesperson contended
that cops responded to the scene after
Chen called 911, and that they fi led a
report for harassment. The attacker,
whom Chen described as a Latino man
in his 40s, has not been arrested, according
to the spokesman. The rep said there
“is no indication at this time that this is
a hate crime.”
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