Khaled Aly after the assault (Courtesy of CAIR-NY)
Nov. 13, 2020 By Allie Griffin
Police arrested a 35-year-old woman Thursday for her involvement in an anti-Muslim hate crime in Rego Park last week.
Giselle DeJesus, of Woodhaven Boulevard in Rego Park, was arrested and charged with assault as a hate crime and other crimes after she and an unknown man allegedly beat a Muslim man in front of his wife and children last Friday.
Her arrest comes after the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY), a Muslim civil rights organization, called on the NYPD to initiate a hate crime probe into the brutal attack earlier in the week.
DeJesus and the unknown man got into an argument with the victim, 38-year-old Khaled Aly, and his wife, 29-year-old Neamat Taha, near Woodhaven Boulevard and 62nd Avenue at around 11 p.m. on Nov. 6, police said.
The man then punched and kicked Aly, causing him to fall to the ground as DeJesus attempted to remove Taha’s hijab, police said. DeJesus also kicked Aly multiple times in the stomach while he was on the ground, according to the criminal complaint.
The argument started when the suspects began harassing Taha as the family walked into the apartment complex where both the family and the suspects lived, according to the complaint.
The man then viciously beat Aly in front of his two children, ages 6 and 8, when Aly asked them to leave his family alone, according to CAIR-NY and the complaint.
The suspects told the family that “we are in America” and repeatedly cursed at Aly and called him a “f**king Muslim.” They also threatened to kill his family, according to the complaint.
Aly was rushed to Queens Hospital Center for multiple fractures to his face and nose, police said.
He underwent surgery and was released from the hospital Monday evening, CAIR-NY said.
The next day, CAIR-NY called on the NYPD to initiate a hate crime probe.
The NYPD Hate Crimes task force is investigating the incident, a police spokesperson said Friday.
Meanwhile, DeJesus was arraigned at Queens Criminal Court Friday and charged with assault in the second degree as a hate crime, three counts of aggravated harassment in the second degree, four counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of disorderly conduct.
If convicted, DeJesus faces up to 15 years in prison.
The unknown man has yet to be apprehended by police.
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2 Comments
What borough do you live in? The borough of Queens is filled with hateful, nasty, racist lowlives who attack those who are different. This is yet another example of this despicable behavior. this is disgraceful. No word of this from the mayor either. Elected officials are nowhere to be found
I am very sorry and hope for a full recovery, both mental and physical, for Mr. Any and his family. This behavior does not represent the people of Queens. I am glad an arrest was made already and I am sure the NYPD will make another arrest soon.