A day before the anniversary of the tragic Atlanta shooting, which left at least six Asian women dead, a New York man was arrested after being caught on camera beating an elderly Asian woman. According to the Yonkers Police Department, the man punched the woman more than 125 times while using a racial slur against her. He was arrested and charged with attempted murder on Monday after assaulting the 67-year-old woman. Identified as 42-year-old Tammel Esco, the man is charged with one count of attempted murder and one count of assault as a hate crime.
The incident took place Friday when the suspect saw the woman—who has not been publically identified—in front of her building. According to police he then called her an "Asian bitch.” Surveillance video of the incident was released by the Yonkers Police Department. In it, the victim can be seen attempting to ignore Esco’s comments before he begins violently attacking her.
Based on the footage police say Esco punched the woman in the face and head more than 125 times before stomping on her with his foot seven times. He also spat on her. The woman, who is now in stable condition, suffered several injuries and lacerations to her head and face, police said.
"Ignoring his comment, the victim entered the vestibule of the building and was attempting to open the second door to enter the lobby when, without warning, the suspect approached from behind and punched her in the head, knocking her to the floor; he then stood over her and proceeded to punch her in the head and face more than 125 times with alternating fist strikes before foot-stomping her seven times and spitting on her," police said in a news release.
Police arrived at the scene after a witness called 911. “I started knocking on the door, and when I did that it caught his attention, and that’s when he got off of her,” Yvette Crespo told NBC New York.
According to the district attorney’s office, Esco has been taken into custody and transferred to the Westchester County Jail. He is scheduled to appear in Yonkers Criminal Court on March 25; whether he has legal representation is unclear at this time.
”This is one of the most appalling attacks I have ever seen; to beat a helpless woman is despicable and targeting her because of her race makes it more so," Yonkers Police Commissioner John J. Mueller said in a statement on Monday.
"Violent behavior will not be tolerated in our communities," he added. Mueller also noted that Esco has a long criminal history with 14 prior arrests, including seven felonies.
This latest incident follows data indicating a rise in hate crimes against the AAPI community nationwide. According to a report released by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, anti-Asian hate crimes rose by 339% in 2021 compared with 2020. The report mimics other data including a national survey from Stop AAPI Hate, which found that more than 10,000 incidents were reported at the start of the pandemic. According to The New York Times, race was the most common reason for a discriminatory incident to occur, listed as a reason in 91.5% of the 10,905 reports.
The AAPI community needs our support now more than ever, whether it be checking in on our family and friends, spreading awareness of COVID-19 misconceptions, or contacting members of Congress to do more against anti-Asian hate. Check out this guide on resources and ways to support the AAPI community and our Asian friends. Hate is the real virus, and we must end it.