• A woman pepper-sprayed her Muslim Uber driver after he recited a prayer in Arabic at a traffic light.
• The incident, characterised as an anti-Muslim attack, has led to multiple hate crime charges against the passenger.
Jennifer Guilbeault, 23, has been indicted on multiple charges, including assault as a hate crime and aggravated harassment.
An Uber passenger has been formally charged with hate crimes after she pepper-sprayed her driver in an “anti-Muslim attack” that transpired earlier this year in New York City.
Jennifer Guilbeault, 23, was indicted by a grand jury of the New York State Supreme Court on one count each of second-degree assault as a hate crime, third-degree assault as a hate crime, and second-degree aggravated harassment, as stated by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. in a press release disseminated on Monday, Oct. 28.
Guilbeault is accused of pepper-spraying her 45-year-old driver, who had picked her and a companion up around 12:15 a.m. on July 31. The alleged assault occurred after he recited a prayer in Arabic at a traffic light on the Upper East Side of the city. Guilbeault reportedly lunged forward from the back seat and sprayed the driver in the face, according to the release.
The district attorney’s office indicated that the driver experienced “burning, redness and pain” and called 911 shortly thereafter. Guilbeault was apprehended at the scene.
The assault was captured on video footage. The footage reveals Guilbeault aggressively seizing the driver and deploying the pepper spray while her friend covers her mouth in shock.
The driver, identified as Shohel Mahmud, previously recounted the events to ABC 7 NY, describing the moments following the incident:
“I’m kind of hanging out of the car, so I take my buckle off, close my eyes, and get out and then I realized my car was still running,” he stated, per the outlet. “I jumped in and put it in park and got out.”
The Times reported that Mahmud sustained injuries that rendered him unable to drive for approximately two months.
“The victim is a hardworking New Yorker who should not have to face this type of hate because of his identity,” District Attorney Bragg remarked in the release. “Everyone is welcome to live and work in Manhattan, and our Hate Crimes Unit will continue to address bias-motivated attacks by thoroughly investigating and prosecuting cases, conducting community outreach, and supporting victims.”
According to The Times, Guilbeault has pleaded not guilty and was released from custody. She is scheduled to return to court in January, as reported by the outlet.
It was reported that Shohel was reciting Ayatul Kursi at the time of the incident. One can only wonder what might have occurred without the protection it provided him.
