New York authorities have launched a hate crime investigation following an alleged attack on a clothing boutique owner over a Kamala Harris poster displayed in her store window. The incident led to the arrest of a 76-year-old suspect.
“Our Hate Crimes Unit is investigating the matter and the investigation remains ongoing,” Manhattan District Attorney’s Office told broadcaster ABC. The person has been identified as Juan Bernal and was arrested on Saturday and charged with third-degree assault, a class A misdemeanour.
Bernal denied the charges. “The only story I can tell you [is] everything she said is false. It’s not like that. I’m now trying to get lawyers to help me with this,” he told the broadcaster.
According to the broadcaster, Bernal got into an altercation with Tanya Young Williams, the owner of Tanya’s Luxury Fashion Boutique on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
He, referring to a poster of Kamala Harris on her store, asked her to have a poster of Donald Trump instead.
“He said, ‘You should have this in your window,'” Williams said and moved towards him to keep him out of her store.
Williams, who was part of the TV series VH1 series “Basketball Wives” and is the ex-spouse of former NBA star Jayson Williams, said she was spat at by Bernal.
“I knew there was no benefit to engaging him because there was no conversation to be had. Because I would not do that, he spits towards me,” Williams said.
The boutique owner alleged the suspect spat in her face again after which she grabbed his shoulders and urged passersby to call the police. When she was distracted for a moment, she claims Bernal pushed her, causing her to fall and injure herself as the back of her head struck the door.
Bernal later appeared before the cops on his own accord. “”I went to the police precinct on my own, hopefully for them to listen to my side. Nobody came to look for me. I went there. They appreciated that I showed up. But right now I’m trying to get out of this situation,” he told the broadcaster.
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