By Daniel Katzive
An Upper West Side crime spree against Asian victims ended in court this week as a suspect was arraigned on hate crime charges.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office announced Wednesday that 29-year-old Camila Rodriguez of New York City was charged with multiple counts of assault as a hate crime and aggravated harassment, stemming from six separate unprovoked attacks against Asian victims. All of the attacks occurred in the 24th Precinct within a few blocks of each other, over the course of a month and a half.
“Hate and harassment have absolutely no place on the streets of Manhattan and New Yorkers of all backgrounds deserve to feel safe,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in the news release. “We will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute these types of biased, violent attacks. My thoughts are with the victims as they continue to heal.” The DA’s press release detailed bruising and cuts stemming from a number of the incidents.
According to the District Attorney’s office, the first incident occurred on March 16, when Rodriguez reportedly kicked a woman of Korean descent in the back of the leg as she walked into the subway at 110th and Broadway. The victim experienced pain in her thigh and ankle after the attack, according to the DA.
Subsequent assaults included an attack on a woman walking on West 108th Street on March 22, an April 8 assault on a group of friends waiting for a table and a waiter at a restaurant on Amsterdam Avenue between West 106th and West 107th Street, an April 21 attack on a woman walking on 104th and Broadway, spitting on a victim on April 27 at 110th and Broadway, and an assault on a man on May 11 at 109th and Broadway. All of the victims were of Asian descent.
A spokesperson for the District Attorney’s office told the West Side Rag that Rodriguez was initially arrested following the April 8 restaurant incident and issued a desk appearance ticket by the NYPD. She was charged with third-degree assault and second-degree harassment, but these offenses were not bail eligible and she was released.
On May 1, Rodriguez was arrested again and the pattern of attacks against Asian victims brought more serious charges. Bail was set, but she was able to post bail and was released after a few days.
Following a third arrest on May 11, the DA’s office asked for her to be remanded until the Supreme Court arraignment this week, and the court granted this request.
Court records show the suspect pleaded not guilty to the attacks at the arraignment this week, and bail was set at $25,000 cash or $50,000 bond, but not posted. Camila Rodriguez has been held on Rikers Island since her May arrest, according to Department of Corrections records. Her next court appearance is scheduled for August 2.
Ms. Rodriguez it’s a perfect candidate for long-term incarceration and/or long-term institutionalization. It’s clear she has no interest in playing by the rules of a civilized society.
I hope this incident illustrates to people that requiring bail doesn’t prevent people who are determined to from continuing to commit crimes. It only prevents people who are determined to WHO CAN’T AFFORD BAIL from continuing to commit crimes. This is the basic problem with the pre-existing bail system: for the vast majority of offenses committed, it conditions pre-trial release on whether you or your family can get their hands on a few thousand cash, not on any rational basis for detention.
I also hope the victims of these assaults can recover their peace of mind.
It’s really cute that after someone is arrested and released 3 times in 3 weeks for the same horrible crime, your first instinct is to explain to us the mechanics and “successes ” of the justice reform.
Right – “innocent until proven guilty” is subjective, based on instances where there’s not doubt the defendant committed the crime before he/she has a trial. Using repeated arrests to justify pre-trial incarceration is fine except when the perpetrator might be (found) innocent. That’s the slippery slope. There’s no good answer. The best we have is probably judicial discretion.
Then raise the amount of bail required. Problem solved.
So what’s your point? I hope it’s that Judges should have the discretion to include preventive detention when there’s a demonstrated pattern of dangerousness. The NYS legislature caved in to advocates when they sharply limited judicial discretion. It owes an apology to the victims…to ALL of us… who have to constantly look over our shoulders.
I find it horrible that there has been any aggression toward Asians in our neighborhood. We famously love the Asian people and their cuisine. Just look at Shun Lee, The Cottage, Haru, Han Dynasty, Young Chow Garden, just to name a few. All part of our community.
I am glad Alvin Bragg is diligent about bringing these individuals to justice. He is our hero.
I’m hoping this comment was a bad attempt at a joke.
Liking Asian food in our neighborhood has nothing to do with the people who are racist against Asians.?
I beg to differ. It actually says a lot about how our community embraces Asian people and supports them as business owners. My comment had less to do with my love of Kung Pao chicken and everything to do with my willingness to support Asian businesses and effort to welcome all Asian people as an important part of our community,
Such an open, respectful group here. I’m glad I even thought to comment.
“horrible that there has been any aggression toward Asians in our neighborhood. We famously love the Asian people and their cuisine. Just look at Shun Lee, The Cottage, Haru, Han Dynasty, Young Chow Garden, just to name a few.”
C’mon, you can do better than using your love of Asian restaurants as the way to show support for these individuals and communities.
Well put. Every human being deserves respect, regardless if you like their cuisine or some other attribute of their race or culture. What sickens me is that in NYC, Asians and Hassidic Jews, when physically assaulted, is just part of living here. “Too bad, you look like that, what can you do”. SHAMEFUL!
Re: “Camila Rodriguez has been held on Rikers Island since her May arrest, …Her next court appearance is scheduled for August 2. ”
Ahhh, a month or so at the hell-hole of Rikers is probably still NOT enough for this racist bully.
Hopefully she will get her b–t kicked by some of the more permanent residents of that island paradise, where even the “correction officers” are not safe from attacks.
The last few years there has been a violent war being committed against Asian people, usually women, here in NYC and in California. A few women died after being attacked. The fact that it is most often pushed out of the news after 24 hours is disgusting., I despise those in charge of just collectively shrugging their shoulders at this, that this is just reality now. To attack someone based on their race or religion should not be allowed no cash bail. Otherwise, what the hell is the point of The United States of America?
Right now the Supreme Court is deciding a case on racial discrimination against Asians by universities. Let’s hope they decide for the plaintiffs so we can put an end to racial hatred.
The Supreme Court case has nothing to do with racial hatred against anybody. Asians brought the suit because they felt disadvantaged by affirmative action that gives a leg up to other minorities who might otherwise not have as strong an application package. No hatred is involved nor implied. Bringing this up in relation to this hateful woman is a non sequitur.
The rise in hate crimes against Asians is truly despicable. Anti-Asian sentiment seemed to really escalate during the pandemic. Rationally this makes absolutely no sense. Scientifically it makes no sense. It’s even hard for me to make sense of it when I try to think like a person wearing a tin foil hat. I am glad the city is prosecuting these crimes. There is altogether way to much senseless violence in the city which is all, of course, reprehensible. These crimes strike me as particularly senseless. Let’s hope that the prosecutions will help deter people from acting on their hateful impulses.
I am glad that she is not still roaming the streets right now.
Outrageous aggression.
I have a grand-daughter who is from the Philippines. The family live in Colorado now. She comes to NY and stays with me sometimes. I’m absolutely terrified that this beautiful soul may be attacked…
Does anyone know what the reason is for this horrendous aggression toward …Asians is about? They’re totally not hostile people ever. .. So what’s the reason for this hate?
Jules,
I’m sure your granddaughter is lovely. But the statement “They’re totally not hostile people ever” is incorrect. Sone Asians, like some people of all races, are hostile. We need to stop making assumptions good or bad about people based solely on race.
There is no reason. It is despicable.
It seemed to have amplified at the outset of Covid, which originated in China. Politicians attacking China (“the China virus”) for their own political gain fueled a lot of this nonsensical violence.
Our former president notably named the Covid virus as “Kung-Flu”, and his supporters thought it was hilarious. It is just one step from verbally assaulting people to physically attacking them.
I just see it as violent losers who pick on people who they feel won’t defend themselves. It’s adult bullying, where you land in the hospital or morgue
For many years there was a President of the U.S. who kept calling the pandemic the China plague & blamed the Chinese people for many years & still continues to say so.
The Orange man did not blame the Chinese people for the Covid. He blamed the Chinese government, and he was right, Even the hardest fan of China can not dispute that it came from a lab in Wuhan. Maybe not on purpose, but it did so anyway, and the Chinese government was not honest about it and refused to let western expert to come and investigate. Millions of people all over the planet died from it, And China got away with it. I am not a fan of you know who – but facts are facts.
That dangerous woman who attacks Asians will keep on doing this until something deadly or serious happens. I was thinking about that Asian woman who was kicked in the thigh area when she was entering the subway. That Asian woman could have gone flying down the stairs. What if an Asian person gets pushed into oncoming traffic while waiting to cross the street.
“until something deadly or serious happens”
As CardiZ noted above, there are already numerous instances of Asian victims dying from assaults.
“What if an Asian person gets pushed into oncoming traffic while waiting to cross the street.”
Among the tragic losses would be Michelle Go who died after being struck by an oncoming train, after being pushed from the subway platform at Times Square.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/19/us/michelle-alyssa-go-life-family/index.html
And Yao Pan Ma, a victim of a hate crime
https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/12/us/new-york-man-attack-asian-death-pleads-guilty/index.html
And GuiYing Ma –
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/01/elderly-asian-woman-dies-rock-attack-new-york-guiying-ma
.Please make sure this despicable person never gets out. Sickened and sick by these continued hate crimes against Asians.
This is yet another example of citizens being victimized because of the majority of members of the New York State Legislature and Bragg’s warped sense of social justice . ” Rodriguez was initially arrested following the April 8 restaurant incident and issued a desk appearance ticket by the NYPD. She was charged with third-degree assault and second-degree harassment, but these offenses were not bail eligible and she was released.”
Let her rot in Rikers !
Close to election time, funny!!
I remember a person on the UWS a few months ago walking down the street and verbally harassing an Asian boy. I told her to please take her medications as it was obvious from the behavior she had mental health issues. She started yelling at me and called me racist. I could only laugh at the extreme irony. But also thought that I distracted this person from doing harm. I hope she gets the help she needs.
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but…I need to see a mugshot so I
can avoid this person accused of
hate crimes just in case