An attack on an Asian American woman who was accosted as she walked to work in Culver City early Monday was being investigated as a possible hate crime, police said.
The attack occurred about 1 a.m. in the 13300 block of Washington Boulevard, according to the Culver City Police Department.
“The victim, who is of Asian American descent, was walking westbound on Washington Boulevard, on her way to work, when she was approached by the suspect who asked her for a cigarette,” according to a CCPD statement. “Fearful of the male suspect, the victim told him that she did not have a cigarette and began to walk away.”
As she did so, “the suspect approached her from behind, yelled a racial slur and hit her on the right side of her head with an unknown object, causing her to fall to the ground. After striking the victim, the suspect fled on foot westbound on Washington Boulevard.”
The woman suffered a “severe” laceration to her right ear and was taken to a hospital for treatment, according to police, who said she is expected to recover fully.
The suspect was described as white, about 35 years old, 5 feet 9 inches tall and heavyset, with light colored hair, possibly balding.
Anyone with information on the case was urged to call police at 310- 253-6300.
