March 23, 2021 -- The tragic mass murder of eight women of Asian descent in Atlanta last week is yet another indication that hate crimes targeting the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community constitute a serious and growing problem across our country.
The Westchester District Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting anyone who commits such hate crimes to the fullest extent of the law, and also to working to prevent hate crimes and bias incidents. In addition, we are firmly committed to maintaining the integrity of all of our arrests and prosecutions, and both the law and our ethical responsibility as prosecutors demand transparency and candor about our evidence in every case.
Earlier this month, an elderly Korean-American woman was assaulted on a sidewalk in White Plains and a suspect was identified in the case. The incident is being investigated by our hate crimes and crimes against elderly units.
In the course of our investigation, the Assistant District Attorneys handling the case found issues with aspects of the identification. Our office immediately notified defense counsel for the suspect.
The suspect has been in custody since March 11. Defense counsel has indicated that an application for the suspect’s release on his own recognizance will be submitted on Tuesday, March 23. The Westchester District Attorney’s Office plans to consent to this application.
The matter remains under investigation by our office.
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Media contact:
Dan Weiller, Director of Communications
(914) 995-3586
dweiller@westchesterda.net