Olivia Munn Says Anti-Asian Hate Crimes 'Have Got to Stop' After Friend's Mother Is Attacked
Olivia Munn is speaking out against the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes. The actress made a plea to [...]
Olivia Munn is speaking out against the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes. The actress made a plea to put an end to the crimes on Instagram Wednesday after her friend's mother, a "5'3" 50+ Chinese woman," was attacked the previous day in the Flushing section of Queens. In New York City alone, there has been a 1,900% increase of anti-Asian hate crimes in 2020.
In her post, Munn shared screenshots of the suspect, explaining that her friend's mother "was attacked by this guy…on Main St and Roosevelt between 2-4 pm." The woman was transported to the hospital following the attack and required "10 stitches in her head," according to the actress. Munn, who shared news headlines reporting on the attack on her Story, went on to write, "These racist hate crimes against our elders have got to stop. We're gonna find this guy. Queens, Internet, please... do your s–." She asked anyone with information contact the NYPD 109th Precinct or NYPD.
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According to the Associated Press, the NYPD said the victim was outside a bakery on Roosevelt Avenue at around 2 p.m. Tuesday when the suspect got into a verbal dispute. The suspect pushed her, causing the victim to hit her head. Her daughter, Maggie Kayla Cheng, wrote on Facebook that her mother was pushed "with such force that she hit her head on the concrete and passed out on the floor."
Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison announced Thursday that detectives from the 109th Precinct arrested 47-year-old Patrick Mateo in connection to the assault, the New York Post reported. Harrison said, "the vicious attack led to the victim sustaining a large laceration to her forehead, which required five stitches." Mateo, who has two prior arrests for possession of a knife in the subway back in 2014 in Manhattan and a shoplifting charge from a Queens Target in 2017, is facing charges of assault and harassment.
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Following the arrest, Munn again took to Instagram, where she wrote, "YOU GUYS DID THIS!!!!" The actress expressed her gratitude "to all of you for caring and posting and retweeting and FINDING THIS GUY!!! I love you all so much." She added, "The Asian community felt your outrage and support and YOU GUYS DID THIS!! Thank you thank you thank you thank you."
The Tuesday attack came amid a growing nationwide trend of anti-Asian attacks. According to Russell Jeung, who created the Stop Asian American Pacific Islander Hate recording database, violence against Asian Americans sharply increased in March as COVID-19 began widely spreading across the U.S. and as some politicians blamed China for the virus, USA Today reports. Stop AAPI Hate received 2,808 reports of anti-Asian discrimination between March 19 and December 31, 2020. Asian Americans Advancing Justice, meanwhile, recorded more than 3,000 hate incidents since late April 2020.
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