NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A Brooklyn man has been charged in a series of attacks on seven women who he allegedly targeted "based on their gender and skin color," prosecutors said.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said Khari Covington, 29, was arraigned Wednesday in Brooklyn Supreme Court on a 52-count indictment for the attacks.
The charges against Covington include second-degree burglary as a hate crime, second-degree strangulation as a hate crime, third-degree assault as a hate crime and third-degree menacing as a hate crime, Gonzalez said.
All but two of the seven attacks that Covington is accused of took place at the Morgan Avenue L train station in East Williamsburg. The attacks happened between Aug. 5 of last year and Jan. 4. Covington was arrested on Jan 5.
According to Gonzalez, Covington told investigators that he targeted his victims because "they were women and light-skinned."
"This defendant's alleged violent and unprovoked attacks endangered the women he targeted and caused widespread fear in the community," Gonzalez said in a press release. "I am committed to prosecuting all hate crimes where victims, including as alleged in this case, are targeted because of their gender, skin color or race."
Covington's bail was continued at $150,000. He faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted. He was ordered to return to court on April 13.
