Brandon Elliot

Brandon Elliot, 38, of New York, United States has been arrested. The African-American homeless man was charged with two counts of assault as a hate crime and one count each of attempted assault as a hate crime, assault and attempted assault.

At around 11:40 a.m. on March 29, 2021, Elliot was caught on camera kicking Filipino-American woman Vilma Kari, 65, in her stomach while she was on her way to church. The unprovoked attack happened in front of the luxury apartment Brodsky Organization in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, New York.

When Kari fell to the ground, Elliot repeatedly stomped her head while making anti-Asian statements. He allegedly told her, “F— you, you don’t belong here.”

Footage of the attack shows that there were eyewitnesses. At least three Brodsky Organization staff members stood by in the luxury apartment’s lobby and watched the brutal attack unfold.

One of the eyewitnesses closed the door as Elliot walked away and left the Filipino elderly woman on the ground. Upon learning this, the Brodsky Organization immediately released a statement condemning the attack and suspended its staff members who witnessed it but failed to help the victim.

Kari sustained a serious physical injury from the attack. She was rushed to New York University (NYU) Langone Health in New York City.

Elliot lives in a hotel on West 40th Street in New York City, which serves as a homeless shelter and is near the Brodsky Organization. He was arrested on the evening of March 30, 2021, the same day Kari was discharged from NYU Langone Health.

In July 2000, Elliot was arrested for allegedly robbing his mother Bridget Johnson. He was accused of yanking jewelry from her neck and choking her.

In April 2002, Elliot was arrested after fatally stabbing Johnson in the chest three times with a kitchen knife in their home in the Bronx, New York City. His younger sister, who was 5 years old at the time, witnessed the attack, sources told the New York Post.

Convicted with murder, Elliot was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. In November 2019, he was released on lifetime parole.