A man in New Jersey who has been accused of attempting to stab a shop assistant allegedly targeted her because he thought she was of Mexican descent, prosecutors have said.
Shairo Gil, 24, of Clifton a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, is facing attempted murder and bias charges over the alleged stabbing, Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office said in a release on Saturday.
The prosecutor’s office alleged that last Friday Mr Gil walked into a grocery store on Main Avenue in the city and approached a clerk before suddenly pulling out a knife and trying to stab the woman in the chest.
Mr Gil was “purposely targeting any individual of Mexican descent, and that he chose the victim because he believed her to be of Mexican descent,” the prosecutor’s office alleged.
The suspect was arrested on Saturday and charged with first-degree attempted murder, second-degree aggravated assault and first-degree bias intimidation, along with third- and fourth-degree weapons offenses.
The man could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in State Prison if convicted of the attempted murder charge.
If Mr Gil is convicted of the bias crime charge he could be sentenced to up to 30 years. The weapons offenses carry carries a maximum sentence of five years and 18 months respectively.
According to NJ.com no injuries were reported as a result of the incident.
Mr Gil was placed in Passaic County Jail awaiting his initial appearance at Central Judicial Processing, the release said.
The state has filed a motion for the pretrial detention of the defendant that will be heard by a Superior Court Judge.
It was not clear if Mr Gil had legal representation available to comment on the charges.
*story by The Independent