A 22-year-old Brooklyn man has been charged with assault as a hate crime for an alleged unprovoked attack against a trans woman inside a subway station and car. The defendant allegedly groped, slapped and punched the victim. The victim need to be treated for a broken nose at Lennox Hill Hospital.
“Every person in our city deserves to safely use the subway, no matter their gender identity or expression," Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said. "This defendant allegedly groped an innocent individual and then violently attacked her. We will continue to vigorously prosecute violent people and defend the rights of every member of Brooklyn’s LGBTQ community.”
The defendant has been identified as as Ian Williams, 22, of Bed-Stuy. He was arraigned today on an indictment in which he is charged with third-degree assault as a hate crime, third-degree assault, third-degree menacing as a hate crime, forcible touching and other related counts. He was ordered to be held on $10,000 cash bail or $50,000 bond and to return to court on November 1, 2023. The defendant is facing a maximum sentence of up to four years if convicted of the top count.
According to the evidence, on August 17, 2023, at 1:00pm the defendant and the 22-year-old victim were waiting for the J-train at the Myrtle Avenue Station in Bed-Stuy. The defendant allegedly made a sexually suggestive gesture at the victim and then grabbed her buttocks. When confronted by the victim, he threatened her and called her a homophobic slur.
Both the defendant and the victim then entered the Manhattan-bound J-train and the victim asked the defendant why he groped her and used that slur. The defendant then allegedly slapped the victim, punched her repeatedly and threw her to the floor. Bystanders pulled him away and he moved to another car.
