A man has been charged with hate crimes after allegedly harassing a 65-year-old Asian woman with racist slurs in Midtown, in the latest crime against the vulnerable community.
48-year-old East Harlem resident Bobby Eli allegedly approached the victim on West 40th Street near Port Authority on Friday afternoon and mocked the woman over her blue haircut, sources said.
When the victim turned to face the tormentor, Eli’s attacks turned racist, according to sources.
‘You stupid Chinese blue hair. You stupid Chinese bra, ”the man said, according to sources.
“Why do you have blue hair, bra?” the man asked, continuing to berate her, sources said.
The balding, bearded suspect also waved an unidentified object at the victim while pushing a pram full of “unknown objects,” police said.
Eli was arrested after the woman took a photo of him with her phone, according to authorities.
According to police, he is accused of second-degree aggravating harassment as a hate crime and third-degree threats as a hate crime.
The NYPD has recorded a 1,300 percent increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.