A New York State Supreme Court grand jury has indicted 23-year-old Jennifer Guilbeault on multiple hate crime charges after an alleged anti-Muslim attack on her Uber driver, Shohel Mahmud, earlier this year. Guilbeault faces counts of second-degree assault as a hate crime, third-degree assault as a hate crime, and second-degree aggravated harassment, as announced by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. on October 28.
The incident reportedly occurred around 12:15 a.m, when Mahmud, 45, paused at a stoplight on the Upper East Side and began praying in Arabic. According to prosecutors, Guilbeault responded by leaning forward from the back seat and spraying Mahmud with pepper spray, causing him significant pain, redness, and burning. Video footage allegedly captured Guilbeault grabbing Mahmud and using the pepper spray while her friend appeared shocked.
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After the attack, Mahmud managed to safely park the car and call 911. He later shared with ABC 7 NY that the injuries left him unable to drive for nearly two months. In a statement, DA Bragg affirmed that all New Yorkers deserve safety from bias-based attacks, adding that the Hate Crimes Unit remains dedicated to prosecuting hate-fueled crimes and supporting victims.
Prosecutors said that Ms Guilbeault has been charged with one count each of second-degree assault as a hate crime, third-degree assault as a hate crime and second-degree aggravated harassment.
Generally speaking, hate crimes are based on the specific targeting of someone due to bias-motivation based largely on ethnicity, religion, gender or disability. Hate crimes have a strong potential of resulting in more severe penalties.
Nation’s largest Muslim civil rights group condemns incident
CAIR-NY, a chapter of the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., said in a statement Tuesday that it “welcomed” the indictment of Guilbeault.
“We welcome the hate crime charges in this case and thank law enforcement authorities for sending a clear message that those who allegedly carry out bias-motivated attacks will face the consequences,” CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher said in a statement.
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Nasher noted the recent surge in anti-Muslim incidents across the country. According to CAIR, the organization documented 4,951 bias complaints nationwide between January and June this year — marking a 69% increase over the same period in 2023.
Earlier this year, CAIR reported that the organization received the “highest number of complaints it has ever received in its 30-year history” with 8,061 complaints documented in 2023. Nearly half of those complaints were reported in the last three months, following the escalation of violence in Israel and Gaza in Oct. 2023.