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White Woman In Queens Charged With Hate Crime For Allegedly Throwing Bottle At Black Runner, Shouting Racial Slur
By
Sydney Pereira
Published Sep 22, 2020
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By
Sydney Pereira
Published Sep 22, 2020
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A white woman who allegedly threw a glass bottle and shouted a racial slur at a Black runner in Queens was arrested for a hate crime on Monday, according to the NYPD.
Woodside resident Lorena Delaguna, 53, was arrested and charged with hate crimes for the alleged attack, which happened around noon on August 17th at 53rd Place and Broadway in Woodside, according to police.
A video posted on Twitter allegedly shows Delaguna throwing a glass bottle at the runner, shouting the n-word at the jogger as she ran by. The woman, Tiffany Johnson, identified herself as the runner in the video in a Facebook post.
Johnson said she didn't know the video existed until it went viral on social media. Then, she filed a police report.
"As a black woman I'm always cautious [because I] know that the color of my skin is triggering for certain people," Johnson wrote on Facebook last week. "At the time [I] felt it was race related, but looking back at this video is 100 percent confirmation of a hate crime. I am glad that I walked away because my freedom and time are my commodity. This is the world that we live in."
Johnson told the Daily News, "At first I thought she mistook me for someone else. It's when she started screaming, 'go back to Africa,' that's when I realized she meant me."
Delaguna was arrested and charged with attempted assault in the second degree and aggravated harassment, both categorized as hate crimes, the police department said in a news release.
Johnson was not physically injured and continued jogging, according to police and the video.
"I hope this helps to raise awareness to a real issue. #runningwhileblack or literally doing ANYTHING while black," Johnson wrote.
UPDATE, 3:30 p.m.: The Queens District Attorney announced Delaguna was arraigned for the alleged hate crime on Tuesday.
"In addition to allegedly yelling the N-word, the defendant in this case is also accused of throwing a bottle in an attempt to strike the victim," Queens DA Melinda Katz said in a statement. "Crimes like this, which are fueled by hate, are in a special category for a reason. No one should have to endure being called a vile slur or being attacked simply because of the color of their skin, their religion, or who they love."
According to the DA's office, she followed Johnson for "at least a block while yelling and threatening the victim," Katz's office said.
A judge ordered her to return to court September 25th, the DA's office said. She faces up to seven years in prison if convicted for the crimes.
Delaguna's lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Tagged
queens
hate crimes
racism
running while black
Sydney Pereira
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