Passenger who pepper sprayed Muslim Uber driver for no purpose indicted for hate crime: DA

A younger girl who pepper-sprayed a Muslim Uber driver on the Higher East Facet over the summer time was indicted for a hate crime within the assault, the Manhattan District Legal professional’s Workplace mentioned.

Jennifer Guilbeault, 23, was indicted in New York State Supreme Court docket on two counts of assault as a hate crime and aggravated harassment for the unprovoked July 31 assault close to Lexington Avenue and East 66th Avenue, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg mentioned in an announcement.  

“Jennifer Guilbeault senselessly assaulted a Muslim Uber driver whereas he was simply doing his job,” Bragg mentioned. “The sufferer is a hardworking New Yorker who shouldn’t need to face this sort of hate due to his identification.”

The motive force, Shohel Mahmud, later claimed that Guilbeault launched her assault merely due to his pores and skin colour.

“Her good friend, she is yelling, ‘Jen, Jen, what the f–okay, what are you doing? What’s occurring?’” Mahmud advised The Put up days after the assault. “Her good friend is asking ‘Why did you do this?’ And he or she say, ‘He’s brown.’” 

Guilbeault was driving within the backseat with the opposite girl at round 12:15 a.m. when she immediately sprayed the noxious substance within the 45-year-old driver’s eyes, in keeping with video circulating on varied social media websites.

Mahmud mentioned he hadn’t spoken to the ladies when he picked them up in Midtown.

“They’re speaking to one another,” he mentioned. “I’m not speaking to them, my job is to drive them. I begin going straight down the Central Park Traverse, straight right down to sixty fifth and Lexington. All of a sudden, this woman for no purpose spray me with pepper spray.”

Bragg mentioned Guilbeault ambushed her driver when he started praying in Arabic simply as he approached a purple mild.

Mahmud jumped out of the automobile — he thought the ladies have been attempting to rob him and his car.

However the automobile crept alongside with out him, so he hopped again inside — and Guilbeault sprayed him once more.

“I imply that is completely ridiculous,” added the father-of-three from Elmhurst, Queens. “I do nothing and she or he spray me. Pepper spray is prohibited. She assault a driver for no purpose. It is a hate crime.”

Cops arrested Guilbeault on the scene, however solely gave her a desk ticket at first.

Her legal professional mentioned the incident shouldn’t be charged as a hate crime.

“Ms. Guilbeault was not motivated by race, faith, nationwide origin, or every other discriminatory issue,” Michael J. Alber mentioned in an announcement.

“This case must be checked out with all surrounding circumstances which embrace assessing the entire proof and lack of proof,” he added.  “We stay up for working with the District Legal professional’s workplace to completely vet the entire details within the correct discussion board, which doesn’t embellish or exaggerate the claims, particularly the place the integrity and credibility of claims can correctly be examined.

Her subsequent courtroom date is Jan. 13.