A man has been charged with hate crimes after allegedly harassing a 65-year-old Asian woman with racial slurs in Midtown, in the latest bias crime against the vulnerable community.
East Harlem resident Bobby Eli, 48, allegedly approached the victim on West 40th Street near Port Authority on Friday afternoon and began taunting the woman for her blue hairstyle, sources said.
When the victim turned around to face the torturer, Eli’s attacks turned racial, according to sources.
Stupid Chinese blue hair. Stupid Chinese bitch, ”the man said, according to sources.
“Why do you have blue hair, bh?” the man asked, as he continued to reprimand her, sources said.
The bald and bearded suspect also waved an unidentified object at the victim while pushing a stroller filled with “unknown objects,” police said.
Eli was arrested after the woman took a photo of him on her phone, according to authorities.
He is charged with aggravated harassment in the second degree as a hate crime and threatening in the third degree as a hate crime, police said.
The NYPD has recorded a 1,300 percent increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans since the coronavirus pandemic began.