NYC Man Who Hit and Spat On Transgender Journalist Arrested, Charged with Hate Crime

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NYC Man Who Hit and Spat On Transgender Journalist Arrested, Charged with Hate Crime

Pablo Valle, a 26-year-old man from Queens, was arrested and charged on Friday with with aggravated harassment-hate crime in the first and second degrees for a disgusting attack on transgender journalist Serena Daniari on the subway last week.

I’m directing the @NYSPolice Hate Crimes Task Force to assist in investigating this sickening attack.

On behalf of the NY family, I’m so sorry this happened, @serenajazmine. We stand with you in love & respect and we will catch the cowards who did this & bring them to justice. t.co/HCOoNssNRf

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) January 26, 2020

CNN reports that Valle and a woman became aggressive after asking Daniari a question and hearing her voice: “Daniari, 26, was waiting at the West 155th subway station in Manhattan last Friday, when a man approached and began asking her questions, she told CNN. She took her headphones out and asked him to repeat what he said, Daniari said. … Valle and a woman with him called Daniari anti-transgender slurs, spitting on her and slapping the phone out of her hand, she said. Daniari said the couple threatened her with a concealed gun before fleeing.”

Daniari posted a photo and the emotional video seen above to social media shortly after the attack.

This couple just spit on me and hit me after calling me transphobic slurs I am so disgusted and crying waiting for the police. Fuck this disgusting city. pic.twitter.com/Dura6tgBLt

— Serena Daniari (@serenajazmine) January 25, 2020

The New York Daily News reports: “Facial recognition technology helped identify 26-year-old suspect Pablo Valle, a police source said. He was arrested in New Jersey by cops from the Manhattan warrant squad, Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison said in a tweet. The suspect’s accomplice, a woman, is still being sought. … Valle has more than 20 prior arrests, a police source said, including for drugs, robbery and assault.”

My statement on the 2/24 attack: pic.twitter.com/pA5kcF9rqU

— Serena Daniari (@serenajazmine) January 26, 2020

Said Daniari to CNN: “I do feel like now more than ever it’s important for trans people to be visible and take up space and disrupt. But sometimes that’s easier said than done, because when you are in a violent situation you don’t want it to escalate.”

.@serenajazmine this is horrific and never should have happened to you or anyone. 1 in 5 #HateCrime incidents are motivated by anti #LGBTQ bias and it’s time to stop such hate and violence in its tracks before another passenger or bystander becomes a victim. t.co/yHUNDK86gW

— Adriano Espaillat (@RepEspaillat) January 25, 2020

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