Daughter: Bystander tried to distract attacker
Woman thanks person for ‘doing the right thing’
NEW YORK — The daughter of an Asian American woman attacked in New York City said Thursday that a person not seen on surveillance video helped the woman by screaming to distract her assailant while others watched and did nothing to intervene.
Elizabeth Kari, writing on a fundraising webpage she set up for her mother’s care, said the bystander was across the street when a man accosted her 65-year-old mother Vilma Kari, kicked her in the stomach, knocked her to the ground and repeatedly stomped on her face late Monday morning near Times Square.
The person, who has remained anonymous, “yelled and screamed to get the assailant’s attention,” Elizabeth Kari wrote.
Fundraising service Gofundme verified the authenticity of the webpage. The Associated Press has been unable to reach the Karis for comment; a message seeking an interview was left with Elizabeth Kari.
“I want to THANK YOU for stepping in and doing the right thing,” she wrote. “This gesture of action is what we need in our world right now. I hope one day, my mom and I can thank you personally.”
Brandon Elliot, a 38-year-old parolee convicted of killing his mother nearly two decades ago, was charged Wednesday with assault and attempted assault as hate crimes. His lawyers urged the public to “reserve judgment until all the facts are presented in court.”
The attack, among the latest in a national spike in anti-asian hate crimes, drew widespread condemnation and raised alarms about what appeared to be the failure of bystanders to help.
Police said no one called 911 and that patrol officers driving by came upon Kari after she was assaulted.
Vilma Kari, who emigrated from the Philippines several decades ago, suffered serious injuries including a fractured pelvis. She was discharged from the hospital Tuesday and is “safe and in good spirits,” her daughter said.
“Although the healing process will not be easy, she has always been a resilient role model for me,” Elizabeth Kari wrote. “We are hopeful that in time she will make a full recovery.”