Grand Jury Indicts NY Woman Accused Of Attacking Elderly ICE Protesters

PAWLING, NY — A grand jury has indicted a local woman accused of attacking three senior citizens as they were protesting in January.

Annette Strehle, 52, was arraigned on three counts of second-degree attempted assault and two counts of fourth-degree criminal mischief, the Dutchess County District Attorney’s office announced Thursday.

The charges stem from an incident on Jan. 10 around 1 p.m. in the vicinity of Route 22 and Main Street in Pawling.

Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi said Strehle is accused of punching one woman in the chest with a closed fist, shoving another woman to the ground, and flinging a third woman to the ground while attempting to take her cell phone.

All three women are over the age of 65.

Strehle is also accused of damaging two of the women’s eyeglasses by crushing them in her hands.

Parisi called it “deeply troubling” that individuals were targeted with violence while peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights.

Prosecutors said the women who were targeted were engaged in a peaceful protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“Violence has no place in political discourse, and our democracy depends on the ability of individuals to express their views without fear of intimidation or physical harm,” Parisi said. “These allegations are particularly disturbing given that the victims in this case are senior citizens who were exercising that right.”

Strehle is being represented by the public defender’s office, and her attorney could not be reached for comment Friday.

Strehle was released under the supervision of the Dutchess County Probation Department, and she is next due in court on April 16.