Berkeley Anti-Asian Hate Crime Suspect Arrested

BERKELEY, CA — A hate crime suspect was arrested in connection with an incident Friday in which a woman of Asian descent was targeted, Berkeley police said.

Shortly before 4 p.m. two women were walking on the sidewalk in the area of Telegraph and Durant avenues, when the suspect, who was sitting in front of a bank ATM made eye contact with one of the women, and then cursed her and made racial epithets before hurling water bottles at the women, police said.

Officers located the suspect a few blocks away and arrested her according to police.

The suspect was identified as a 56-year-old woman with no known address, police said.

The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office on Tuesday charged the suspect with willfully threatening a person based on their perceived characteristics, using offensive words in a public place which are inherently likely to provoke an immediate violent reaction, and battery, police said.

A hate crime is classified by law enforcement as a crime against a person, group, or property motivated by the victim’s real or perceived protected social group.

“The Berkeley Police Department recognizes and places a high priority on the rights of all individuals guaranteed under state and federal law,” police said in a statement.

“The commission of a hate crime is a serious offense, which will not be tolerated in the City of Berkeley.”

For more information about Hate Crimes and reporting, visit the California Attorney General’s website.