A Fontana man is facing federal hate crime charges Wednesday for punching an Asian American woman while shouting racial slurs.
The alleged attack occurred on June 14, 2021 in Culver City. Investigators said 37-year-old Jesse Allen Lindsey punched the woman in the face after she failed to give him a lighter or cigarette. The victim told him she did not smoke.
“The victim in this case was simply minding her own business when she was verbally abused and violently attacked based on nothing more than her appearance,” said Krysti Hawkins, acting deputy director of the FBI.
The Justice Department said a federal grand jury has indicted Lindsey, who was already in state prison on an unrelated conviction, with committing a hate crime. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
“Hate-fueled violence has no place in our society,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “We live in one of the most diverse areas of the country, and that diversity gives us strength. Our community will remain united in condemning intolerance, and my office will not hesitate to investigate and prosecute those who harm others because of bigotry.”
The simple encounter escalated when Lindsey began following the victim, who he believed was an Asian-American man. Lindsey reportedly began yelling expletives at the woman, along with the phrases, “You don’t belong here” and “You can’t say hello…?” before hitting her on the head.
The woman fell face down in the street as Lindsey shouted more racial slurs and expletives. Paramedics took the victim to hospital, where doctors used about eleven stitches to repair her face. She also suffered injuries to her head and ear, which also caused her to miss more than a month of work. It also caused persistent pain for a year.
After learning that police had launched a hate crimes investigation into the attack, Lindsey fled the state, fearing he would receive a stiffer sentence, the complaint said.
According to the DOJ, Lindsey will appear in federal court in the coming weeks.
