NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A man accused of approaching a woman on a Queens subway, asking about her religion and then beating her to the point of fractured orbital and nasal bones was charged with a hate crime, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Friday.
The vicious attack took place at about 4 a.m. on Wednesday morning aboard a Queens-bound E train near the 75th Avenue station in Forest Hills, prosecutors said.
The woman, who was wearing a head covering, was then allegedly approached by 34-year-old Naved Durrni who asked the woman where she is from and if she is a Muslim.
She responded that she is a Muslim, at which point Durnni allegedly slapped and punched her in the face several times before kicking her in the face with his heavy work boots.
Durnni fled the scene, but was apprehended by police several blocks away, prosecutors said.
“She is now in the hospital for a fractured orbital and nasal bone fractures, and significantly hurt, severely hurt,” Katz told 1010 WINS.
Durnni is charged with three counts of assault as a hate crime, three counts of assault and two counts of aggravated harassment. If convicted of the top charge, he faces up to 25 years in prison.
Prosecutors said that Durnni is expected back in court on Monday, and is being held without bail.
“We are the city of New York. If you can’t be who you are, and pray the way we want to, and make sure that we can wear whatever it is we’d like to, I don’t know where else we should be,” Katz said.