iStock/Marco CurabaBY: EMILY SHAPIRO, ABC News
(NEW YORK) — A woman has been arrested on hate crime charges one month after she allegedly hurled a glass bottle — and a racial slur — at a jogger, New York City police said.
Around noon on Aug. 17, 37-year-old Tiffany Johnson was jogging in Queens when a woman flung a glass bottle at her, the NYPD said.
The suspect then used a racial slur and “continued to yell at the victim,” police said.
“She followed me up the block, was screaming ‘get out of here, go back to Africa…N-word,'” Johnson told ABC New York station WABC.
Thanks to the tireless efforts of dedicated officers from @NYPDDetectives, this suspect has been apprehended. https://t.co/98X6pVo29T
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) September 22, 2020
Johnson was not hurt.
Police released surveillance video from the incident and asked the public to help identify the attacker. On Monday, the NYPD said a suspect was apprehended.
Lorena Delaguna, 53, of Queens, has been charged with aggravated harassment (hate crime) and attempted assault 2 (hate crime).
Delaguna did not immediately have a court date or attorney listed.
Johnson posted on Facebook last week, “Racism is truly real and alive even in a diverse area like Astoria/Woodside Queens, NY.”
“This incident happened to me while I was jogging in 98 degree weather minding my business,” Johnson wrote. “My freedom, my time, my humanity matters, my body matters. I hope this helps to raise awareness to a real issue. #runningwhileblack or literally doing ANYTHING while black.”
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