A Michigan man has been charged with felony assault as a hate crime after police say he attacked a Muslim woman in a Manassas, Virginia parking lot last month.
66-year-old Matthew Vinod Malaikal of Northville, Michigan, was arrested Wednesday on a warrant for felony assault and battery, hate bias, following a September 30 incident in the parking lot of a shopping plaza.
Investigators said the 51-year-old victim had just parked her vehicle when she was approached by a man who began shouting profanities and using slurs about her religion. During the confrontation, the suspect allegedly poked her in the face and grabbed her hand, leaving visible marks.
Good Samaritans stepped in, and the man fled the scene. The woman suffered minor injuries.
Under Virginia law, a misdemeanor assault and battery becomes a felony when the crime involves hate bias based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or national origin.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, issued a statement praising the felony hate crime charge and calling for accountability.
“We welcome the decision to pursue a hate crime charge in this disturbing case. No one of any faith or background should fear being targeted, harassed, or assaulted while going about their daily life. We thank law enforcement authorities for taking this incident seriously and urge full accountability under the law.”
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