Alleged Assault May Be Treated as Hate Crime
A man arrested on suspicion of attacking a person he believed to be Afghan may face hate-crime enhancement charges.
It was the first such arrest in San Jose in a series of attacks since Sept. 11 against people believed to be Middle Eastern.
Ibrahin Martino, 45, of San Jose allegedly accosted a 21-year-old man at a 7-Eleven store.
When Martino asked the man where he was from, “The person told him he was from India, and the suspect said, ‘No, that’s not true. You’re from Afghanistan,’ ” Officer Joseph Deras said. Martino punched the victim several times before leaving, police said.
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