Suspect Charged With Hate Crime After Assaulting 65-Year-Old Asian-American Woman

The brutal attack on elderly Filipina woman Vilma Kari in New York City has sparked outrage.

April 02, 2021
Vilma Kari's daughter, Elizabeth, set up a GoFundMe raising more than $200,000 for her recovery. [photo courtesy of Elizabeth Kari]

Vilma Kari's daughter, Elizabeth, set up a GoFundMe raising more than $200,000 for her recovery. [photo courtesy of Elizabeth Kari]

Vilma Kari's daughter, Elizabeth, set up a GoFundMe raising more than $200,000 for her recovery. [photo courtesy of Elizabeth Kari]

By: Aaron Rasmussen

A man is in custody after he allegedly assaulted an elderly Asian American woman on her way to church in New York City, police said.

Brandon Elliot, 38, was arrested on March 31 — one day after authorities released video that appears to show him approach 65-year-old Vilma Kari, who is of Filipina descent, and assault her, the Associated Press reported.

According to a criminal complaint obtained by CNN, on March 29, Elliot went up to the woman in Midtown Manhattan, shouted a curse and anti-Asian slurs, kicked her to the ground, and then repeatedly struck her.

The victim reportedly suffered head injuries as well as a fractured pelvis in the unprovoked attack.

Elliot previously served 17 years in prison for stabbing his mother to death in 2002, NYC’s WCBS-TV reported. He was released from custody last November and placed on lifetime parole.

Multiple tips reportedly led investigators to a Hell’s Kitchen homeless shelter where Elliot had been staying when the alleged hate crime occurred.


“When you’re releasing people from prison and you’re putting them in homeless shelters, you’re asking for trouble,” NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said, according to WCBS-TV. “There’s got to be a safety net and there’s got to be resources for them.”

Elliot currently faces charges of felony assault as a hate crime. If convicted, he could serve up to 25 years behind bars, in addition to any other penalties related to his parole.

“This brave woman belongs here. Asian American New Yorkers belong here. Everyone belongs here,” Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance said after filing charges against Elliot, the AP reported.

Vilma Kari's daughter, Elizabeth, organized a GoFundMe page to raise funds for her mother's recovery and to support the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in the wake of the recent rise in anti-AAPI attacks.

Next Up

A 1998 Gruesome Hate Crime Horrified A Small Texas Town

The 1998 murder of James Byrd Jr. appeared to be a hit-and-run at first glance, but it didn’t take investigators long to realize they were dealing with something far more sinister.

True Crime News Roundup: Nurse Attacked At Bus Stop Dies In L.A. Hospital Where She Worked For Nearly 4 Decades

Plus: Police arrest the alleged killer of a furniture store employee; a gunman holds four people hostage at a Texas synagogue; the last of three NYC teens is sentenced for an 18-year-old student’s stabbing death; and Miami rapper Wavy Navy Pooh is murdered in a drive-by shooting.

True Crime News Roundup: ‘Considerable Doubt’ Remains In Emmett Till Murder Case Despite DOJ Closing File

Plus: The body of a missing Florida woman is found near her boyfriend’s home; Scott Peterson is resentenced for his wife Laci Peterson’s 2002 murder; and former Empire actor Jussie Smollett found guilty for falsely reporting a hate crime.

Convicted Killer Robert Durst Faces Murder Trial In Connection To His Wife’s 1982 Disappearance

One-time Manhattan real estate heir Robert Durst was found guilty in California of the first-degree murder of his best friend and confidante, Susan Berman.

Convicted Killer Sentenced For Murder That Put Innocent Man In Prison For Decades

Victim Angie Dodge’s mother told Brian Dripps he ‘shattered’ her family and ‘there is no way to pick up the pieces ever again.’

Family Seeks Justice For Teen Found Burned And Fatally Shot On Brooklyn Railroad Tracks

DeAndre Matthews, a Black gay teenager, was found dead on train tracks in Brooklyn, New York, and his family demands justice for what they believe was a hate crime.

Mysterious Death Of 25-Year-Old Man Last Seen Leaving An NYC Bar May Be Tied To A Robbery Ring

Friends of Julio Ramirez suspect he may have been drugged before his death — and he may not be the only victim.

Curse of the Chippendales: Greed, Jealousy & Murder Get Stripped Down In New discovery+ Series

This four-part series, created by the Academy Award-winning and Emmy Award-winning Simon Chinn and Jonathan Chinn of Lightbox, begins streaming only on discovery+ September 24.

Arrests Made In Robberies, Deaths Of Men At NYC Gay Clubs

On March 31, 2023, the New York Police Department identified three suspects in connection to the deaths of 25-year-old Julio Ramirez and 33-year-old John Umberger.

CAUGHT ON TAPE: LAPD Needs Your Help To Find Suspect Wanted For Violent Attack

The alleged attack was caught on video by a local business in Los Angeles, CA. At the time of the attack police said the victim was inside the store and was challenged to a fight. The altercation took place right outside the store.