Prosecutors have charged 23-year-old Jennifer Guilbeault with multiple counts, including second and third-degree assault as a hate crime, for an unprovoked attack on a 45-year-old Muslim Uber driver in New York City.
The indictment, issued by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, includes charges of second-degree assault as a hate crime, third-degree assault as a hate crime, and second-degree aggravated harassment. The incident occurred on the Upper East Side in July.
According to the district attorney’s office, the attack took place around 12:15 a.m. on July 31, while the driver was completing a ride for Guilbeault and another passenger seated in the back. As the driver began praying in Arabic after stopping at a red light, Guilbeault allegedly lunged toward him, pepper spraying him in the face.
The driver suffered from burning, redness, and pain and called 911 shortly after the assault. Guilbeault was arrested at the scene.
WPIX, a local television station, reported that Guilbeault was arraigned on charges of assault and hate crime but denied that the attack was racially motivated. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg condemned the act, stating, “As alleged, Jennifer Guilbeault senselessly assaulted a Muslim Uber driver while he was just doing his job. The victim is a hardworking New Yorker who should not face this type of hate because of his identity.”
The Uber driver, identified as Shohel Mahmud, expressed his belief that the incident was racially motivated and mentioned working fewer hours since the attack due to safety concerns. Dash camera footage captured Guilbeault lunging at Mahmud and spraying him, followed by her grabbing his arm as he attempted to push her away. Despite initially exiting the vehicle in distress, Mahmud returned to park the car as another passenger intervened.
When questioned about her actions, Guilbeault allegedly responded, “he’s brown,” according to the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY).
In a statement, CAIR-NY welcomed the indictment, with Executive Director Afaf Nasher emphasizing the importance of holding individuals accountable for bias-motivated attacks. She noted a troubling rise in anti-Muslim incidents across the country, with CAIR documenting 4,951 bias complaints nationwide from January to June of this year—a 69% increase compared to the same period in 2023. Earlier, CAIR reported receiving its highest number of complaints in its 30-year history, with 8,061 documented cases in 2023, nearly half of which arose in the last three months following escalating violence in Israel and Gaza.
