The woman accused of throwing a glass bottle at a jogger while she was running and shouting racial abuse at her, telling her to ‘go back to Africa’, has appeared in court.
Lorena Delaguna, 53, was arrested on Monday on hate crime and harassment charges after she was filmed launching an unprovoked attack on Tiffany Johnson, 37.
Officers detained her at her home and charged her with attempted assault and aggravated assault as a hate crime.
She was taken to Queens Central Booking for arraignment and appeared in court Tuesday. Delaguna has a long rap sheet, including for burglary, menacing and graffiti, dating back to 2014, The New York Daily News reports.
Lorena Delaguna, 53, was arrested on Monday on hate crime and harassment charges
Lorena Delaguna, 53, was arrested on Monday on hate crime and harassment charges after she was filmed launching an unprovoked attack at Tiffany Johnson, 37, pictured left and right
The August 17 attack was caught on video. The suspect behind the attack pictured above sipping from a glass bottle at the corner of 53rd Place and Broadway in Woodside, Queens
Johnson was on a run at 53rd Place and Broadway in Woodside, Queens around noon on August 17 when she passed a corner and Delaguna threw a glass bottle at her feet, police said.
She shouted: ‘Get out of here n*****, go back to Africa,’ according to video release by the NYPD on Wednesday.
‘It’s a hate crime. It’s not acceptable. She has to be [held] responsible for her behavior,’ Johnson had previously told the New York Post.
Johnson revealed she thought Delaguna had mistaken her for someone else, and didn’t initially think the attack was racially motivated.
But once the woman started to scream hateful insults at her, she realized it was because she is black.
Delaguna has a long rap sheet, including for burglary, menacing and graffiti, dating back to 2014, The New York Daily News reports
As Johnson approached the corner the suspect suddenly threw the bottle at her feet and yelled ‘Go back to Africa, n****r’, police say
The woman threw the glass bottle and it shattered on the ground near the jogger’s foot
The suspect then repeatedly screamed ‘Get out, Go back to Africa, n****r!’. Johnson looked back and said, ‘What is your problem?’ before continuing her run
‘She could see the color of my skin and she reacted to that,’ Johnson said.
‘I was definitely shocked. I was surprised but more importantly I wanted to get away from her,’ she added.
In the clip Johnson is seen turning back confused and saying ‘What is your problem?’ when the woman berates her and then continues her run.
‘I’m entitled to go for a job, live my life, enjoy my life and enjoy the things that makes me happy,’ she said.
Johnson said she took the route of being the bigger person and leaving rather than arguing with the woman.
Johnson previously revealed she was happy police were on the hunt for her attacker. She did not report the incident at the time until a friend saw the witness video on social media
‘That’s not on me. That’s a reflection on her. She needs to look at herself and figure out why she looks down on somebody,’ she said.
‘We are always trying to give reasons for what people do but I can’t get into her head. I only know what she did, what she said and her actions,’ she added.
Johnson previously revealed she was happy police were on the hunt for her attacker. She did not report the incident at the time until a friend saw the witness video on social media.
She told ABC7 she has not gone back to that neighborhood since the incident, but has received an outpouring of support from groups like Black Girls Run.