Nathan Gray told the 21-year-old victim he “hated Muslims” and that he was going to kill her.
A homeless man has been charged after throwing hot coffee over a Muslim woman’s face and accusing her of being a “terrorist” at a New York branch of Dunkin’ Donuts.
Nathan Gray, 34, told the 21-year-old victim he “hated Muslims” and that he was going to kill her.
According to the police, he then hit her with his bag and put her in a headlock. Officers were called and arrested Mr Gray at the scene and he’s been charged with assault as a hate crime.
The attacker walked into the W. 35th. St. shop near Seventh Avenue in Manhattan at about 2.45 pm and asked for a cup of coffee, One Dunkin’ Donuts employee, who wouldn’t provide her name, told the New York Daily News.
“I gave him coffee and he said something to me about terrorists, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying. He walked away from me and sat next to a group of Muslim women,” the store employee said. “He started talking to them and I could hear him saying, ‘Terrorists!’”
The women sat and ate, trying to ignore him, but he continued shouting, the employee said.
“One woman called him ‘stupid’. So he threw his hot coffee in her face, It was hot, hot coffee. She could have been burned! Then he swung his bag at her and it hit her in the face,” the employee added.
The incidents of hate, harassment and intimidation have risen dramatically across the United States in the weeks following Donald Trump’s election as US President.
Earlier in December, a female New York police officer was called a “terrorist” and told “You shouldn’t be working for this city” while wearing a headscarf.