New York man who punched Filipina over 100 times sentenced to more than 17 years in prison
Warning: This story contains mentions of violence and Asian hate.
A man who was caught on camera attacking a Filipino woman in New York City early this year has been sentenced to 17 and a half years in state prison.
The man named Tammel Esco saw the 67-year-old woman entering her New York apartment in March. He then knocked her over the head and proceeded to punch her over 100 times after calling her an "Asian b*tch."
Yonkers Police Department shortly apprehended and took Esco into custody while the woman was still bleeding in front of the elevator.
She suffered from brain bleeding and multiple facial fractures, among other injuries, according to state prosecutors.
"Today we close a chapter on one of the most violent and shocking hate crimes that we’ve seen in Westchester County," said Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah during a press conference after the trial.
He was found guilty of assault in the first degree as a hate crime. He is also subjected to five years of post-release supervision after 17 years in jail.
"This sentence holds the defendant to full account for the violent hate crime he committed in March and which he pled guilty to in September," Rocah added.
Esco's assault comes after the wave of anti-Asian hate that plagued the United States early this year.
Several demonstrations and rallies expressing solidarity with Asian Americans took place around the same time, as well as the call for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders protection in the country.
Elmer Cato, the Consul General of the Republic of the Philippines in New York, also called for justice during the onslaught of the crime.
We are outraged by this unspeakable act committed against an elderly member of the Filipino Community. This is the third incident in less than a week where elderly kababayan have become victims of random violence. @AAFederation @PHinNewYork @teddyboylocsin https://t.co/43n2pxrhiN
— Elmer G Cato (@elmer_cato) March 15, 2022
