Man on parole arrested for attack on Asian woman in NYC

article

The NYPD arrested Brandon Elliot, 38, of Manhattan in connection with the assault of an Asian woman in Hell's Kitchen. (NYPD)

NEW YORK - A convicted killer on parole for the stabbing death of his mother decades ago was arrested on charges, including felony assault as a hate crime, in an attack on an Asian American woman in New York City, announced the NYPD .

Brandon Elliot, 38, was taken into custody early Wednesday morning in connection with the vicious assault on Vilma Kari, 65, on her way to church Monday. The horrifying incident was caught on surveillance video.

Elliot of West 40th Street in Manhattan was on lifetime parole for murdering his mother in 2002. He was paroled in 2019 after serving 17 years for second-degree murder.

Police shared a video of the disturbing incident, which took place Monday at about 11:40 a.m. in front of 360 West 43 Street.

Outrage over woman’s beating

A brutal attack caught on a security camera has shocked the city. The NYPD is investigating the incident in which a man shoves, punches and kicks an Asian American woman in front of a luxury apartment building.

The surveillance video from inside the building shows the woman pass the front entrance when a man suddenly kicks her in her stomach. She falls to the ground when the assailant stomps on her head three times while hurling anti-Asian statements, added cops.

A man inside the building lobby seemingly stopped what he was doing to watch the assault and later two more men wearing blazers walk into the frame and one of them closes the door as the woman was on the ground.

The assailant casually walked away, the footage showed.

According to the real estate website Street Easy, Brodsky Organization is the property developer and manager of the building where the incident took place.

What is the bystander effect?

A video that shows a man punching an Asian passenger on a Manhattan-bound J train is stunning due to the brutality of the attack and the lack of action on the part of bystanders.

On Brodsky's Instagram account, the group said they were aware of the incident and the staff who witnessed the account were suspended pending an investigation. The organization also said they were working to identify a third-party delivery vendor who was also present during the assault.

The victim was discharged from the hospital Tuesday after being treated for serious injuries, a hospital spokesperson said.

Elliot faces several charges including two counts of assault as a hate crime.

NYPD says there have been 33 hate crimes with an Asian victim so far this year, news outlets reported.

Outrage over woman’s beating

Police Commissioner Dermot Shea previously said the department would increase its outreach and patrols in predominantly Asian communities amid the spike of anti-Asian hate crimes.

In a warning to would-be attackers, Shea said: "The next person you target, whether it's through speech, menacing activity or anything else, walking along a sidewalk or on a train platform, may be a plainclothes New York City police officer. So think twice."

According to a report from Stop AAPI Hate, over 3,795 incidents were reported to the organization from March 19, 2020, to February 28, 2021. The organization said that number is "only a fraction of the number of hate incidents that actually occur."

With The Associated Press

Crime and Public Safety New York