AN alleged “racist” accused of throwing battery acid in a Latino immigrant’s face, after calling him an illegal and saying he “invaded” the country, is back in court today for his preliminary hearing.
Clifton Blackwell, 61, who is white, apparently attacked Peruvian-born Mahud Villalaz, 42, after a parking dispute earlier this month.
He allegedly threw battery acid in Villalaz’s face after telling him he couldn’t park outside a restaurant by a bus stop.
Villalaz was rushed to a nearby hospital for second-degree burns to his face, cheek, and neck from the acid, as well as injuries to his left eye.
Fox 6 News reports that the victim accused Blackwell of hurling racist slurs before he was doused in acid.
“Why did you invade my country?” Blackwell allegedly said, before asking “why don’t you respect my laws?”
In reality, Villalaz has been an American citizen since 2013 after starting a new life here in 2001.
Why did you invade my country? Why don’t you respect my laws?
But apparently, the disgusting abuse – which included calling the victim an “illegal” and telling him to “go home!” – only intensified once Villalaz moved his car.
After Villalaz told Blackwell he was “racist” and pointed out that “everyone comes from somewhere,” Blackwell pulled a metal bottle from his bag and launched the devastating attack.
A PH test indicated that an “acidic substance” was the cause of Villalaz’s horrific injuries.
After he filed a complaint, investigating officers found “muriatic acid, Kleen-Out sulfuric acid, Kleen-Out drain opener (100% lye), and Parkerizing cleaner” in Blackwell’s home.
WISN reports that Villalaz believes the attack was motivated by racism.
“I believe [I] am a victim of a hate crime because [of] how he approached me telling me to ‘get out this country,” Villalaz said. “This is pretty much a terrorist attack.”
Two days after the attack, a GoFundMe page was was set up to help him with his medical expenses managed to reach $52,754 before it stopped accepting donations.
The restaurant also released footage of the attack in which the suspect can seen throwing liquid on Villalaz before gripping the bottle and moving away.
Meanwhile, Blackwell is facing some serious time behind bars if he is found guilty.
Reckless injury carries up to 25 years in prison and $100,000 in fines, reports The Washington Post.
This is pretty much a terrorist attack.
Mahud Villalaz
But Blackwell – who is charged with first-degree reckless injury using a dangerous weapon – could also face a tacked on 10-year sentence because prosecutors are pursuing the incident as a hate crime.
During his initial court appearance, the judge set a $20,000 cash bond and ordered him to wear an electronic device to monitor his movements, as well as implementing a 24-hour curfew, according to Fox.
The ‘racist’ was also ordered to stay away from the victim and have no contact with acidic substances or weapons.
