A New York woman, Jennifer Guilbeault, 23, faces hate crime charges after allegedly pepper-spraying her Muslim Uber driver, Shohel Mahmud, 45, while he prayed in Arabic at a red light on the Upper East Side.
District Attorney Condemns “Senseless” Assault “This victim is a hardworking New Yorker who shouldn’t face hate because of his identity,” said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, condemning the assault as “senseless” while Mr. Mahmud was simply doing his job.
Incident Captured on Video According to court documents, Guilbeault leaned forward from the back seat and sprayed Mr. Mahmud in the face. Video footage obtained by ABC7 shows Mr. Mahmud shouting in pain, while Guilbeault tells another passenger to “Get him out.” The passenger appears shocked, repeatedly questioning her actions.
Support from Manhattan’s Hate Crimes Unit Bragg emphasized Manhattan’s commitment to protecting diversity and prosecuting bias-driven attacks, affirming that the hate crimes unit will “thoroughly investigate and prosecute cases, conduct community outreach, and support victims.”
Victim Describes the Harrowing Moment Mr. Mahmud recounted how he was briefly trapped by his seatbelt and struggled to exit the car. He finally managed to get out, though he had to return to park his vehicle.
Legal Proceedings and Charges Guilbeault has been charged with second-degree assault as a hate crime, third-degree assault as a hate crime, and second-degree aggravated harassment. She has pleaded not guilty, and her attorney has yet to respond to media requests for comment.
Understanding Hate Crimes Hate crimes typically involve targeting a person based on ethnicity, religion, gender, or disability, with enhanced penalties for bias-driven attacks.
