Editor's note: The video was published on August 2.
MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) -- The woman who pepper-sprayed an Uber driver in the Upper East Side on July 31 is now being charged with a hate crime, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced.
Jennifer Guilbeault, 23, was arraigned on Monday on charges of assault and assault as a hate crime.
The attack was caught on camera, and the victim spoke exclusively to PIX11 News.
Shohel Mahmud, the veteran Uber driver, believes the incident was racially motivated, but Guilbeault denies that.
Mahmud was on the phone while passengers Jennifer Guilbeault and a friend were quietly sitting in the backseat.
Then, 90 seconds into three minutes of dashcam video, Guilbeault suddenly stands up, yelling. According to police, the 23-year-old unprovokedly attacked Mahmud and pepper-sprayed him in the face.
Mahmud described the attack, saying, “My whole face was burning. It lasted two hours.” He also feared that the attackers were going to hijack his car.
According to the complaint, the attack happened after Mahmud began praying in Arabic at an intersection. When her friend asked why she attacked Mahmud, Guilbeault allegedly responded, "he's brown".
Following arraignment, Guilbeault was granted supervised release. She is due back in court on October 3.
Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work here.
