Anti-hate crime rally held before court appearance in NYC Asian attack
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- An anti-hate rally was held in Manhattan Monday ahead of a court appearance for the man charged in a brutal caught-on-camera attack on a 65-year-old Asian American woman who was on her way to church in Manhattan.
Brandon Elliot, 38, is charged with two counts of second-degree assault as a hate crime and one count of first-degree attempted assault as a hate crime.
He was out on parole after serving 17 years for fatally stabbing his mother, and prior to the attack, he had been free for 16 months and living in the city shelter system.
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The unprovoked attack happened just before noon on March 29 in front of 360 West 43rd Street in Midtown, where authorities say the victim was kicked and fell to the ground as the suspect made anti-Asian statements toward her.
The man then repeatedly struck her while she was on the ground, saying "(Expletive) you. You don't belong here."
The woman suffered a fractured pelvis and contusion to the head.
The rally was held outside the courthouse Monday to call attention to the crime, which has generated a lot of anger from the community and local leaders who say the system shouldn't be dumping parolees in the city.
"We all feel unsafe," one speaker said. "Bring back law and order. Our message is really simple: Safe street, safe subways."
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If Elliot is convicted, he could spend the rest of his life behind bars.
"It makes absolutely no sense that they freed someone who killed his own mother," said Phil Wong, with the Chinese American Citizens Alliance. "Where were parole officers? Where are social workers?"
Ellitio is being held without bail.
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