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A man of African descent has been arrested and charged with attempted murder as a hate crime after a shocking incident in which he was captured on video assaulting a 67-year-old Asian woman, Your Content has learned.
Tammel Esco, 42, resided in the same building as the victim and has a troubling past, with a lengthy rap sheet comprising 14 prior arrests, including seven felonies and three violent crimes.
The assault took place on Friday evening in the New York City suburb of Yonkers, where the victim was targeted as she attempted to unlock the entrance to her apartment.
Esco allegedly directed a racial slur towards her before launching a surprise attack from behind. After striking her once and knocking her down, he proceeded to viciously punch her more than 125 times.
Fortunately, the victim is currently in stable condition, but she sustained serious injuries such as facial bone fractures and brain bleeding.
This horrifying incident occurred within the broader context of an alarming increase in crime and anti-Asian hate crimes throughout New York in recent years.
Esco’s criminal history is extensive, having amassed 14 prior arrests and seven felonies, including three violent offenses.
In 2010, he spent 42 months in jail after being convicted of stabbing someone, and just a few months ago, in February 2021, he shoved another person through a glass wall.
Moreover, the building in which both the attacker and the victim resided has become a cause for concern among its residents.
Numerous tenants have reported feeling unsafe due to the prevalence of criminal activities and drug usage within the premises. Troubling incidents in the building’s history include a tenant with a squad arrest warrant in 2015 and a fire that was started on the seventh floor by another tenant.
Homelessness, drug use, and drug dealing are distressingly common occurrences within the building, leaving tenants to contend with an ongoing sense of insecurity.
The recent assault has brought renewed attention to the persisting problems within the building, as well as the urgent need for improved safety measures and support for the residents who have been affected, according to The New York Times.
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