The video above is courtesy CBS KPIX 5 in San Francisco via NDN, and the information in the report below is courtesy Los Angeles Times.
SAN JOSE, Calif. – A woman is facing numerous charges, including hate crime allegations, after she allegedly assaulted a young girl at a store.
The Los Angeles Times reports that Maria Garate, a transient, was booked into a county jail after she allegedly struck a 4-year-old child in the head while at a Wal-Mart Tuesday, and officials said the evidence suggests Garate attacked the family because they are Asian.
The Los Angeles Times reports Garate faces charges of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon and that both charges carry a hate crime allegation. An official with the district attorney’s office said evidence suggests the victim was chosen because she is Asian.
The girl was sitting in a shopping cart while shopping with her father when Garate entered and allegedly hit her with a crowbar. The Los Angeles Times reports the father tried to intervene and took a blow for his daughter while protecting her from Garate.
The girl was being treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. See the video above for interviews with those involved in the case. Click here for much more on this story from the Los Angeles Times.
