The woman who allegedly yelled a racial slur and threw a bottle at a Black jogger in Woodside was formally charged with attempted assault and aggravated harassment on Tuesday, Sept. 22.
Lorena Delaguna, 53, was arrested on Monday, and charged the following day with attempted assault as a hate crime and aggravated harassment for an incident in which she allegedly tossed a bottle at a Black woman jogging in the northwest Queens neighborhood on Aug. 17. Delaguna allegedly told the woman to “go back to Africa,” and called her the n-word as she threw the glass bottle, according to the charges.
If convicted of the charges, Delaguna faces up to 7 years in prison.
“Crimes like this, which are fueled by hate, are in a special category for a reason,” Katz said. “No one should have to endure being called a vile slur or being attacked simply because of the color of their skin, their religion, or who they love.”
The investigation into assault was conducted by the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force.
Delaguna, who lives in Woodside, was ordered by Queens Criminal Court Judge Jeffrey Gershuny to return to court on Friday, Sept. 25.
