PROVING THE POINT

Man Charged With Punching Asian American Mom at NYC Rally Against Anti-Asian Violence

The man was photographed by bystanders, and witnesses said he flashed his genitals at people before he escaped on a train.

A man has been arrested and charged with a hate crime for allegedly punching an Asian American mom at a New York City rally against anti-Asian violence. The 37-year-old woman—whose name hasn’t been made public —was heading to the Asian American rally in Union Square with her 7-year-old daughter on Sunday morning when a man stopped her. He asked for her sign, and, assuming he was also joining the rally, the woman gave it to him—but then he started tearing it up and stuffing it in a trash can. She recounted: “I walked forward and towards him saying, ‘What are you doing?’ And he just came in front of me and punched me in the face, and then I think I stopped for a little bit, and then I chased him.” The man was photographed by bystanders, and witnesses said he flashed his genitals at people before he escaped on a train. NYPD officials confirmed the arrest of 27-year-old Erick Deoliveira on Monday evening. He’s been charged with a hate-crime assault and criminal mischief as a hate crime.