Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. today announced the indictment of MADELINE BARKER, 47, for attacking four women of Asian descent with pepper spray on a public street area in the Meatpacking District while yelling xenophobic remarks on June 11, 2022. BARKER is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with eight counts of Assault in the Third Degree as a Hate Crime and four counts of Aggravated Harassment in the Second Degree, a misdemeanor hate crime.[1]
 
“Hearing the hateful and discriminatory words, ‘go back to your country’ is deeply painful and these women allegedly heard them before enduring the physical pain of Ms. Barker’s pepper spray. People of all backgrounds deserve to feel safe, which is why my Office is enhancing these prosecutions through the expansion of the Hate Crimes Unit,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Just yesterday, we also announced the indictment of Derrick Johnson, another individual who yelled anti-Asian slurs as he attacked two women. These bias-driven incidents have no place in Manhattan. If you have been a victim of a hate crime, please call my Office’s Hate Crimes Hotline at 212-335-3100.”

According to court documents and statements made on the record in court, on the afternoon of June 11, 2022, BARKER pepper-sprayed a group of four Asian women standing outside on Hudson St. between 13^th and 14^th Streets in the Meatpacking District. BARKER allegedly confronted the group for standing near where she was sitting.

BARKER allegedly hurled racially offensive remarks at them, including, “Why don’t you just go back to your country.” As a result of the assault, all four victims experienced a burning sensation to their faces or eyes as well as substantial pain.

Assistant D.A. Andrew Kim is handling the prosecution of this case under the supervision of Assistant D.A. Hannah Yu (Chief of the Hate Crimes Unit), Assistant D.A. Jonathon Junig (Deputy Chief of the Hate Crimes Unit), Assistant D.A. Robert Ferrari (Chief of Trial Bureau 40), and Executive Assistant D.A. Lisa DelPizzo (Chief of the Trial Division).

D.A. Bragg thanked Det. William Martinez of NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force and members of the 6^th and 10^th Precincts of the NYPD for their assistance with this case.

Defendant Information:
 
MADELINE BARKER
Meritt Island, Florida

 
Charged:

• Assault in the Third Degree as a Hate Crime, a class E felony, eight counts
• Aggravated Harassment in the Second Degree, an A misdemeanor, four counts

 

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[1] The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. All factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court.