A woman who was captured on video hurling a bottle and a racial slur at a Black runner in New York City has been charged with attempted assault as a hate crime and aggravated harassment, NBC News reported Wednesday, citing local authorities.
The woman, Lorena Delaguna, 53, was arraigned in Queens criminal court on charges stemming from the Aug. 17 confrontation with Tiffany Johnson.
“Crimes like this, which are fueled by hate, are in a special category for a reason,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a written statement. “No one should have to endure being called a vile slur or being attacked simply because of the color of their skin, their religion, or who they love.”
The District Attorney did not name the victim, but Johnson, 37, has identified herself as the person being accosted in a video that was recorded by a bystander and released by the police department last week.
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Katz said that in addition to using the racial slur, Delaguna, of Woodside, Queens, followed the runner for a block and told her to “go back to Africa.”
Delaguna’s attorney, Samantha Diaz, questioned the severity of the charges, noting that Johnson hadn’t suffered physical harm.
Watch footage of the incident below:
Police are looking for a woman who threw a glass bottle at a Black jogger and called her a racial slur in Queens, per the NYPD.
More details: https://t.co/BoQtChoZL4 pic.twitter.com/9UiIPluZE2
— PIX11 News (@PIX11News) September 16, 2020
