A New York train rider who made racist comment to a 25-year-old woman for “talking too loud” has been charged with a hate crime and could face a year in jail if convicted.
Edward Ruggiero, a Long Island resident, was filmed on the Long Island Railroad yelling racial slurs at a fellow passenger.
“Shut the f*** up, you f****** loudmouthed monkey m***********,” Mr Ruggiero is seen yelling in the clip at passenger Soraya Orelien.
The exchange continued with Mr Ruggiero continuing to yell insults at the woman suggesting that she does not know who her parents are because she is a “monkey”.
“At least I got a f****** mother. Do you know who your mother is? You don’t know who your mother or your father is because you’re a f****** monkey, that’s why,” he yells.
The incident has led to charges against Mr Ruggiero. Those include hied-degree menacing as a hate crime, and second-degree aggravated harassment, according to the New York Post.
If convicted, Mr Ruggiero could face up to a year in jail, and a $1,000 fine.
He is currently being held pending arraignment in Queens Criminal Court, according to the Queens District Attorney’s office.
“The bigotry and hatred the the defendant is accused of manifesting and acting upon have no place in a civilised society — especially in Queens County, the most culturally diverse county in the nation,” Richard Brown, the Queens district attorney, said in a statement.
“No one should be subjected to the vile words and intimidating actions the defendant is accused of tormenting the victim with,” Mr Brown continued. “Crimes of hate will never be tolerated here and when they do, regrettably occur, those responsible will be brought to justice.”
Ms Orelien has said previously that she is not the only person to have experienced this type of behaviour from Mr Ruggiero, and that she has since seen him on the train — though he did not say anything in the later encounter.
“He made me feel disgusting. He made me feel less than what I am,” she told ABC News in an interview. “And I’m not the only one who has experienced this. He was so angry you saw the veins pop out of his neck”.
Ms Orelien continued in that interview to say that she was reminded of civil rights heroes who endured discrimination on public transportation during fights for equal rights.
“I just think back to Rosa Parks. When she was tired, got on the bus and sat in the front and did not move,” she said. “That was me. I was tired. I work from 8 to 5 and then I go to school from 5.30 until 9 o’clock.”
The incident occurred late last month on April 19. Ms Orelien says that she is scheduled to graduate from her school program May 30.
“I’m tired. I graduate My 30, I am [in] the last few weeks of school, finals are approaching. I’m tired,’ she said. “So when I come on the train, I am sitting down to relax until I get off at my stop”.
