Sacramento, Calif. (AP) — A man and a teenager who were arrested in a robbery targeting an Asian woman in Sacramento are now facing hate crime charges, police said.
Sacramento County prosecutors this week added hate crimes to the robbery charges filed against two suspects who have been involved since June, the Sacramento Police Department said in an Aug. 17 news conference. In custody.
The robbery comes amid a wave of attacks against Asian Americans in California and across the country that began as the coronavirus pandemic spread across the U.S.
The crimes took place in April and May when the women were leaving the mall. Victims were injured in physical attacks, and thousands of dollars in cash, jewelry and other property were taken.
Police located a suspicious vehicle and found evidence related to the robbery during a search, police said.
Detectives then identified two suspects and arrested a 17-year-old male in Berkeley on June 15 and 20-year-old Latravion Mccockran in Sacramento on June 22.
“Detectives continued their investigation following the arrest and found additional evidence that the victims were targeted because of their ethnicity,” the statement said.
Police said the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office added a hate crime increase to robbery charges on Aug. 15.
