A coronavirus-inspired crook has been charged with a hate crime after spewing a string of insults at an Asian woman as he stole her cellphone on a Brooklyn subway platform, sources said Sunday.
Oswald Jones, 60, allegedly yelled “Go back to China” and “You are dirty, get your temperature checked,” before he tried to punch the 26-year-old victim, making off with her cellphone at the Fort Hamilton Parkway Station around 11 p.m. Thursday, according to sources.
Jones, who lives in Chelsea, was picked up shortly after the incident and charged with grand larceny as a hate crime and aggravated harassment.
He faced a Brooklyn Criminal Court judge on Saturday and was released without bail.
The victim was unharmed, according to police.
The racially charged attack comes amidst a wave of coronavirus-related hate crimes throughout the city and nation as residents struggle to cope with the outbreak of the disease.
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