A New York woman has been charged with assault as a hate crime after she allegedly pepper-sprayed her Muslim Uber driver while he prayed at a red light, prosecutors said Thursday.
Jennifer Guilbeault, 23, is accused of the July 31 “anti-Muslim” attack, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said Monday.
She was in the backseat of an Uber with another individual at 12:15 a.m. when she allegedly lunged toward the driver with a can of pepper spray and sprayed the 45-year-old in the face after he began praying in Arabic at a red light, officials said.
The spray caused “burning, redness and pain,” the DA said in a release. A few minutes later the driver called 911, and Guilbeault was arrested at the scene.
Guilbeault has been charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with second-degree assault as a hate crime, third-degree assault as a hate crime, and second-degree aggravated harassment.
She pleaded not guilty to the charges at her arraignment on Monday, and was released with non-monetary conditions, according to court records. She’s due back in court on Jan. 13.
“As alleged, Jennifer Guilbeault senselessly assaulted a Muslim Uber driver while he was just doing his job,” District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement. “The victim is a hardworking New Yorker who should not have to face this type of hate because of his identity.”
He said the office’s hate crime unit will continue to address bias-motivated attacks and support victims.
Michael J. Alber, an attorney for Guilbeault, rejected the hate crime designation. “Ms. Guilbeault was not motivated by race, religion, national origin, or any other discriminatory factor,” the attorney said.
“A full and fair review of the evidence is going to show a crime was not committed in this matter, and that a rush to judgment is not appropriate, and is hurtful to all those involved,” he added.
Since the Hamas-Israel war, there’s been a rise in antisemitic and anti-Arab and anti-Muslim incidents reported in the U.S.
The Council on American Islamic Relations said in an April report that in 2023 it received the highest number of bias reports in its 30-year history. Those complaints ranged from verbal discrimination in the classroom or workplace to incidents of physical violence reported to police.
