Jennifer Guilbeault, 23, was indicted on various charges, including second and third-degree assault as a hate crime, for pepper spraying an Uber driver in an unprovoked attack in New York City in July. The incident occurred after the driver began praying in Arabic while stopped at a red light, leading Guilbeault to pepper spray him in the face. The driver experienced burning, redness, and pain and called 911 after the attack. Guilbeault was arrested at the scene and denied that the attack was racially motivated. The victim, identified as Shohel Mahmud, believed it was racially motivated and reported working fewer hours out of fear for his safety. Dash camera footage showed Guilbeault lunging forward and pepper spraying Mahmud, who managed to escape the car briefly. Guilbeault reportedly made a racist comment in response to the attack. The Council on American-Islamic relations in New York welcomed Guilbeault’s indictment, noting a surge in anti-Muslim incidents nationwide. According to CAIR, there was a 69% increase in bias complaints in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period the previous year. Guilbeault faces several charges for her attack on the Uber driver, with prosecutors emphasizing that such hate crimes will not be tolerated.
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Woman facing charges for multiple hate crimes
