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The incident happened shortly after 6 p.m. on Friday, March 11 in Yonkers.
Tammel Esco, age 42, was charged with a hate crime after assaulting the 67-year-old woman which led to his arrest on March 11, Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah announced on Tuesday, March 15.
In response, the community has rallied support for the victim, with a GoFundMe fundraising campaign raising more than $42,000 through nearly 1,000 donations as of Wednesday, March 30.
The name of the victim has not been released by the organizers of the fundraiser or police investigators to protect her privacy.
According to the family of the victim, on the day of the assault, the 67-year-old Filipina woman was returning home on March 11 when Esco allegedly approached her and called her an “Asian b - - - -,” a comment which she brushed off.
When the woman entered the lobby of her building, she was followed by Esco, who proceeded to assault her before spitting on her repeatedly.
See the video above.
The attack led to multiple contusions and lacerations to the head and face of the woman, as well as facial bone fractures, and bleeding from the brain. As of March 30, she was listed in stable condition in the hospital.
“In this despicable, unprovoked attack, she suffered serious head trauma and internal injuries,” her family said. “She is currently stable and out of the hospital, but has extensive injuries that require constant outpatient care.
“It’s a miracle that she’ll be able to make a full recovery, but it will be a long journey and we don't know when she'll be able to go back to work.”
The family mentioned that the attack likely will lead to them leaving the area and relocating to a different area.
All money donated to the fundraising campaign will be managed by lawyers for the family and put into a trust under their control.
“Her attacker was our neighbor and lived in her building,” they said. “She will have to move to ensure her safety as she cannot continue living in her home, apartment building, or neighborhood.
“We want to protect our mother any way we can, so we ask to stay anonymous so that she can focus on her recovery without being bombarded by the media or having more fears for her safety,” the family noted.
“We are grateful for the outpouring of love for our mom and any support you're willing to contribute to her medical bills, rehabilitation, and mental health services, and move to a new home.”
The GoFundMe campaign website can be found here.
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