A 65 year-old man is facing hate crime and assault charges in connection with the brutal attack of a Korean woman in Santa Monica.
Melvin Taylor was formally charged Tuesday with attempted second degree robbery, assault with a deadly weapon (a car door) and assault my means of force likely to produce bodily harm.
“A hate crime against one of us is truly a crime against all of us,” District Attorney George Gascon said in a statement announcing the charges. “I am committed to stopping hate in our community.”
Taylor allegedly attacked his unidentified victim while she was in her parked car at a meter on the 1500 block of 2nd Street on July 23. Prosecutors say he yelling racial slurs and mentioning the coronavirus while trying to steal her purse.
Bystanders stepped in to help the woman, who was ultimately able to keep her purse.
The case remains under investigation by the Santa Monica Police Department.
