Hate Crime Assault Arrest - NYC News

Police are searching for this man in connection with an attack on a bus rider in which the attacker tried to remove the victim's turban. -Photo by NYPD

By Dan Gesslein

NYC News Network

October 20, 2023

NEW YORK - Police arrested a Manhattan man for the hate crime assault on a Queens bus. Cops said the rider was assaulted simply for wearing a turban. 

Police arrested 26-year-old Christopher Philippeaux of East Harlem. He was charged with hate crime assault charges. 

At around 9 am on October 15, a 19-year-old man wearing a turban was riding a shuttle bus in the vicinity of 118th Street and Liberty Avenue. Cops said another passenger suddenly began yelling at him unprovoked. 

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"We don't wear that in this country and take that mask off!" the attacker is quoted as saying before he pounced. 

Cops said the attacker began repeatedly punching the victim in the back of the head, the face and his back. The attacker then tried to remove the victim’s turban from his head. 

The attacker got off the bus and fled on foot on Liberty Avenue. But not before his image was captured on the bus’ surveillance camera. 

The victim suffered a laceration and bruising but refused medical treatment at teh scene.