Cii Radio| Ayesha Ismail|15 September 2017| 24 Dhul Hijjah 1438
An Orthodox Jewish woman and her daughter were beaten up at a Queens subway station by a drunk who mistook them for Muslims, police sources said Thursday.
“Get out of my country, you dirty Muslim!” Dimitrious Zias, 40, allegedly ranted during the attack at the 67th Ave. R line stop in Rego Park at 2 p.m. on Wednesday.
The women were leaving the station and headed up the stairs, when Zias, who had been drinking, came up behind them, sources said.
The mother waved him along, at which point he allegedly derided her as a “dirty Muslim.”
Her daughter came to her defense, and Zias attacked, source said.
He allegedly punched the 57-year-old mother, and socked her daughter, 37, in the face.
The daughter told the News her lupus was aggravated by the assault. She said she and her mom were likely mistaken for Muslim because her mother wears a headdress to adhere to her Orthodox faith.
“I never expected it would happen in this neighborhood,” she said.
Zias was arrested at the scene and charged with assault as a hate crime. He was arraigned Thursday and ordered held on $50,000 bail. His lawyer could not be reached for comment.
In September 2015, Zias was busted for using his cell phone camera to take a picture under a woman’s skirt at the Uniqlo clothing store in Midtown.
He pleaded guilty to felony unlawful surveillance and was sentenced to five years probation, authorities said.
A Muslim vendor was also the victim of a bias crime in Brooklyn on Wednesday.
The 53-year-old victim was punched in the back of the head and cursed at when he told three men he didn’t have change for a $20.
It happened at 8:25 a.m. at Stockholm St. and Wyckoff Ave. in Bushwick, where the victim was tending to his food cart.
“#$%@, you Muslim,” the suspects said. “Go back to your country.”
He told police he didn’t want the men arrested, but the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force is still investigating.
Through Sept. 10, hate crimes in the city were up 33%, with 280 incidents, compared to 211 last year. Muslims were victims 31 times compared to 21 last year, a 48% increase.
Source – nydailynews
Disclaimer: Article may contain obscene language. These are the words of the person mentioned in article.
