Kenneth Jerome Pinkney was charged with a hate crime on Nov. 7 following an alleged attack on a United States Postal Worker in which he ripped off her hijab before slapping and punching her in the face. Pinkney also yelled slurs at the unnamed woman before telling her to “go back to her country,” CNN reports.
The alleged incident occurred on Oct. 24 in
Wilton Manors, Florida, while the woman delivered mail to a home. The 47-year-old is said to have approached her on his bike, directed a “shooting gesture” at her, and then forcibly removed her cultural and religious head garb. The attack turned more violent, and the woman allegedly sustained injuries to her face and mouth before escaping to her postal service truck. Pinkney continued to pursue her and tried grabbing her leg before she was able to free herself, CNN reports. The Florida man faces up to 15 years in state prison for the second-degree felony if convicted and has been ordered to undergo mental health screening.As tensions grow amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, crimes committed against members of both the Jewish and Muslim communities are on the rise, with many organizations calling for law enforcement and state officials to be on high alert to keep people safe.
“This alleged violence and hate have absolutely no place in Florida,” CAIR-Florida Media and Outreach Director Wilfredo Amr Ruiz said. “We will make sure to follow up on this and any other case to ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent to deter others from engaging in this criminal anti-social behavior targeting anyone, regardless of their race or religion.”
The death of 6-year-old Wadea Al Fayoume, who was stabbed 26 times by his family’s landlord for being Muslim, is one of the many recent crimes perpetuated against Muslims that is being investigated as a federal hate crime.