Court records show 23 charges against Joseph Russo, 28, stemming from the three incidents, ranging from allegations of assault and criminal negligence as a hate crime to less threatening charges and harassment.
CNN has reached out to a Legal Aid Society attorney, who reportedly represents Russo. CNN was unable to immediately reach a relative of Russo’s for comment.
The first incident occurred on March 5, when Russo allegedly pushed a 64-year-old Asian woman to the ground, causing pain on the left side of her body. Russo then walked away.
On the morning of March 22, Russo reportedly pulled the hair of a 32-year-old Asian woman, “ causing pain to her head and neck, ” police said, adding that “ no words were exchanged during the incident and that no property was removed. . ”
Russo allegedly pushed a 77-year-old Asian man to the ground in front of a supermarket in Brooklyn’s Sheepshead Bay neighborhood on Monday, according to the NYPD. No words were exchanged during that incident, they said.
“Although the victim suffered bruises on his left arm, he refused medical attention,” police said.
Russo was initially arrested on drug charges, and police allege he was found with crack cocaine residue and paraphernalia, the NYPD said.
The Kings County district attorney’s office confirmed on Friday that Russo was being held on $ 100,000 bail.
According to the NYPD, 31 anti-Asian hate crimes were committed between January 1 and March 28 of this year. In the same period last year, there were zero such recorded crimes, police data show.