NEWS • Press Releases
May 31, 2023
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the indictment of CAMILA RODRIGUEZ, 29, for a string of attacks against people of Asian descent on the Upper West Side. RODRIGUEZ is charged in two New York State Supreme Court indictments with Assault in the Second Degree as a Hate Crime, six counts of Assault in the Third Degree as a Hate Crime, and six counts of Aggravated Harassment in the Second Degree, covering six different attacks against Asian victims. [1]
“Hate and harassment have absolutely no place on the streets of Manhattan and New Yorkers of all backgrounds deserve to feel safe,” said D.A. Bragg. “We will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute these types of biased, violent attacks. My thoughts are with the victims as they continue to heal.”
According to court documents and statements made on the record in court, RODRIGUEZ targeted at least six Asian victims in separate, unprovoked attacks within the course of a month and a half. All incidents were a mere few blocks away from each other.
All incidents occurred merely a few blocks away from each other.
On March 16, 2023, at approximately 9:23 p.m., RODRIGUEZ kicked a woman of Korean descent in the back of the leg as she walked toward the stairs leading into the subway station at the southwest corner of Cathedral Parkway and Broadway. The victim experienced pain in her thigh and ankle after the attack.
Less than a week later, on March 22, 2023, at approximately 9:40 p.m., RODRIGUEZ pulled a woman’s hair by her hair clip on the sidewalk on West 108th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue. After the victim turned around and spoke to her in Mandarin, RODRIGUEZ slapped the victim, who is of Chinese descent, in the face. The victim’s glasses hit and bruised her face. RODRIGUEZ then continued punching her after the two fell to the ground. Bystanders approached and RODRIGUEZ fled before police arrived.
On April 8, 2023, at approximately 9:00 p.m. RODRIGUEZ approached the third victim while he was waiting with two friends for a table at a restaurant on Amsterdam Avenue between West 106th and West 107th Streets. All three individuals are of Chinese descent. RODRIGUEZ pulled the hair of the victim’s friend. The victim then pushed RODRIGUEZ off his friend before RODRIGUEZ pushed her electric scooter toward him, bruising his leg. RODRIGUEZ tried to attack a waitress from the restaurant, who appeared to be of Asian descent, when she came out to tell the group a table was ready. The victim pushed RODRIGUEZ away before RODRIGUEZ struck him with a semi-closed fist.
RODRIGUEZ attacked a woman of Filipino descent on April 21, 2023, at approximately 5:10 p.m. at the northeast corner of West 104th Street and Broadway while the victim was walking home. RODRIGUEZ came up from the side, grabbed her hair, pulled her to the ground and punched her in the face multiple times, bruising her lip and cutting her chin and wrist. Her face and gums were swollen for several days.
On April 27, 2023, at approximately 7:30 p.m., RODRIGUEZ spat in the direction of a victim of Chinese descent at the northeast corner of West 110th Street and Broadway. The spit landed on the victim’s jacket and neck.
Finally, on May 11, 2023, RODRIGUEZ approached a man of Korean descent as he stood outside smoking a cigarette near the southeast corner of West 109th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. She yelled and cursed at him about looking at her and smoking near her car. RODRIGUEZ hit him with the back of her hand, knocking his glasses off his face and bruising him.
If you have been a victim or witness to a hate crime or bias incident, please call our Hate Crimes Unit at 212-335-3100.
Assistant D.A. Sarah Stein is handling the prosecution under the supervision of Assistant D.A.s Constantine Coritsidis (Deputy Chief of the Hate Crimes Unit), Hannah Yu (Chief of the Hate Crimes Unit), and Executive Assistant D.A. Lisa DelPizzo (Chief of the Trial Division). Assistant D.A. Andrew Kim assisted with the prosecution. Trial Preparation Assistants Zoe Fleishaker and Claire Kuo and Analysts Caitlin Kang and Julie Ann Doren Lim are also assisting. The Witness Aid Services Unit is providing valuable support.
D.A. Bragg thanked the members of the NYPD, particularly the 24th Precinct and the Hate Crimes Task Force, for their assistance with this case.
Defendant Information:
CAMILA RODRIGUEZ
New York, NY
Charged:
- Assault in the Second Degree as a Hate Crime, a class C felony, one count
- Assault in the Third Degree as a Hate Crime, a class E felony, six counts
- Aggravated Harassment in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, six counts
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[1] The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. All factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court.
