Philippine consulate welcomes arrest of suspect in violent assault of Filipina in NYC

The Philippine Consulate General in New York welcomed the arrest of the suspect in the violent assault of a 65-year-old Filipina in Midtown Manhattan and called on the Filipino community to remain vigilant amid the surge in hate crimes against Asians in the United States. 

A New York Times report identified the victim as Vilma Kari, who was walking down a sidewalk near Times Square when the suspect, Brandon Elliot, 38, kicked her in the stomach and head several times.

Brandon was heard shouting “You don’t belong here” while attacking Kari, who immigrated to the US years ago.

Reports said Elliot was an ex-convict on lifetime parole after being released from prison in 2019. He was convicted of fatally stabbing his mother in 2002, police said.

“We thank the New York Police Department, and all those who in one way or another, contributed to the efforts that led to the arrest of Brandon Elliot,” the consulate said in a statement.

A video released by the police showed no one came to the victim's aid. Some men inside a building who witnessed the attack closed the door on Kari.

The building's owner, The Brodsky Organization, said that it was "extremely distraught" by the attack and that the two employees in the video who just watched the assault and did nothing have been suspended pending an investigation.

In view of the alarming surge in hate crimes against members of the Asian community in the United States, the consulate reminded Filipino in New York and surrounding areas to remain vigilant and to immediately report any incident by calling 911 or the Asian Hate Crimes Task Force of the NYPD at 1-800-440-HATE. —KBK, GMA News