Suspect In Attack On Asian Woman In Midtown Is Convicted Murderer

HELL'S KITCHEN — The man accused of beating an Asian woman to the ground in broad daylight Monday in Hell's Kitchen is a convicted murderer who had been living in a nearby hotel shelter, authorities said Wednesday.

Brandon Elliot, 38, faces several charges of assault, including hate crimes. Convicted of murdering his own mother in 2002, Elliot had spent more than a decade in prison before being paroled in 2019, according to multiple reports.

His listed address was the Four Points Sheraton Hotel on West 40th Street, which the city converted into a temporary shelter in January. Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said Elliot was arrested there without incident.

Monday's assault happened just before noon, when the victim — a 65-year-old Filipino woman who was on her way to church — was walking in front of a luxury apartment building on West 43rd Street near Ninth Avenue.

Video showed the man, whose identity was not known, kicking the woman to the ground and then punching and stomping on her repeatedly. He told the woman, "F--- you, you don't belong here," according to police.

UPDATE: The NYPD has arrested Brandon Elliot, 38, in the brutal attack of a 65-year-old woman in Midtown Manhattan.

Charges
• Assault as a Hate Crime (2 counts)
• Assault
• Attempted Assault as a Hate Crime
• Attempted Assault https://t.co/yBKQA2PZp3
— Deputy Commissioner John Miller (@NYPDDCPI) March 31, 2021

The woman suffered a fractured pelvis forehead contusions and more bruising across her body, according to authorities. Shea said she was still hospitalized as of Tuesday.

"This brave woman belongs here. Asian American New Yorkers belong here," Manhattan District Attorney said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. "Everyone belongs here."

No bystanders called 911, police say

No one called 911 to report the assault as it happened, NYPD officials revealed Monday. Instead, officers on patrol from a nearby precinct happened to spot the victim and helped her once the assailant had left, Det. Michael Rodriguez said Wednesday.

After the assault, police released surveillance images showing the suspect near the scene of the crime. The NYPD offered a $2,500 reward for information leading to his arrest.

Ultimately, an outpouring of tips to a police hotline led investigators to a Bronx warrant squad which already had a photo of Elliot that matched the surveillance images, Shea said. His arrest was announced early Wednesday.

Elliot was set to be arraigned in Manhattan criminal court Wednesday afternoon, Vance said. He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted, plus other consequences related to his status as a lifetime parolee.

Asked Wednesday why Elliot was out on the street despite his murder conviction, Shea said he was unwilling to condemn the entire criminal justice system for giving offenders the chance to redeem themselves.

"I think that anyone given a second chance deserves second chances," he told reporters.

The Sheraton where Elliot had apparently been living became a shelter this winter, after neighbors in Hell's Kitchen persuaded the city to move about 300 men from a different hotel on West 36th Street.

Wave of attacks continues

The attack was swiftly condemned, with the city already reeling from a wave of similar attacks on Asian residents. Entering the week, 33 hate crimes with Asian victims had been reported in New York City, three times the number recorded by this point in 2020, the Daily News reported.

Much scorn was also directed toward staff inside the nearby apartment building, who watched and failed to intervene as the assault played out, the video showed. The Brodsky Organization, which manages the building, said Tuesday it had suspended two workers pending an investigation.

Kyle Bragg, president of the SEIU 32BJ union that represents the workers, condemned the attack and insisted that the employees had "called for help immediately."