(NewsNation) — A 47-year-old Florida man is facing a hate crime charge in Fort Lauderdale for punching a postal worker and snatching her hijab.
The incident occurred Oct. 24. Kenneth Jerome Pinkney was initially charged with battery as a repeat offender and committing a second-degree felony with prejudice, but the charges were later upgraded.
According to the police report, the victim, who was wearing a USPS uniform, was delivering mail to a home when Pinkney, riding a bicycle, made a threatening gesture with his hand as if he had a firearm.
He proceeded to verbally abuse her with derogatory comments and told her to leave the country. The victim tried to brush off his comments with a laugh, but Pinkney approached her, forcibly removed her hijab, and physically assaulted her by slapping and punching her in the face.
This attack caused her to bleed from her mouth and left her with scratches on her face.
As she attempted to retreat to the USPS truck, Pinkney attempted to grab her leg, leading the victim to tear his shirt to free herself.
She warned him that she would call the police, to which Pinkney responded that he would also contact law enforcement.
Police apprehended Pinkney on the same day in front of his apartment in Wilton Manors, Florida. During questioning, he had difficulty providing a consistent account of the incident.
Records indicate that Pinkney had a previous felony battery conviction in 1996. He is being held at the North Broward Bureau on a $20,000 bond.
The Florida Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations released a statement welcoming the hate crime charges against Pinkney.
“This alleged violence and hate have absolutely no place in Florida,” CAIR-Florida Media and Outreach Director Wilfredo Amr Ruiz said. “We will make sure to follow up on this and any other case to ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent to deter others from engaging in this criminal anti-social behavior targeting anyone, regardless of their race or religion.”