May 29, 2024 – LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury today returned an indictment charging a Southern California man with a hate crime for allegedly punching an Asian American woman in the head in Culver City while he shouted racial slurs at her.
Jesse Allen Lindsey, 37, who is in state prison on an unrelated conviction, but whose last known address was in Fontana, was charged today with one count of committing a hate crime, a felony offense that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
“Hate-fueled violence has no place in our society,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “We live in one of the most diverse areas of the country, and that diversity brings us strength. Our community will stay united in condemning intolerance, and my office will not hesitate to investigate and prosecute those who harm others on account of bigotry.”
“The victim in this case was simply minding her own business when she was verbally abused and violently attacked based on nothing more than her appearance,” said Krysti Hawkins, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI is committed to the protection of civil rights in the United States and will hold accountable anyone so driven by hatred that they would target innocent people based on their race.”
According to the indictment, at approximately 1 a.m. on June 14, 2021, the victim was walking to work in Culver City when Lindsey, a white man, asked the victim for a lighter or cigarette. She responded that she did not smoke. Lindsey allegedly then began following her and yelled at the victim, whom he perceived to be an Asian American man, “You [expletive] Asian guy, turn around.” Lindsey allegedly called the victim “Korean” and shouted, “You [expletive] Asian guy, you don’t belong here,” the indictment states.
The indictment further alleges that, as captured on surveillance video, Lindsey yelled at the victim,…
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