An alleged assault on a pregnant Muslim woman on the same night as the terror attacks in Paris does not appear to be a hate crime, San Diego police said Thursday.
The woman was wearing a traditional Muslim head scarf and pushing her child in a stroller in Mission Valley Nov. 13 when a man started making racially charged threats to her, according to Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Executive Director Hanif Mohebi.
The suspect then pushed the stroller toward her, which Mohebi said constitutes an assault.
SDPD spokesperson Lt. Scott Wahl said no final outcome of the investigation has been reached however the allegations are not consistent with this being labeled a hate crime.
The woman lives in the same apartment complex as the accused.
She was exiting an elevator with her stroller as the man was entering the elevator with a dog on a leash, Wahl said. At that point, the dog’s leash got tangled in the wheels of the stroller, he said.
When the man went to untangle the dog leash from the wheels, it appears the woman pushed the man with her stroller, according to Wahl.
Local
The incident was captured on video without audio.
It is possible both people involved may face misdemeanor battery charges, Wahl said.
Officers were looking to interview the alleged victim using a certified translator.
Results of the investigation will be handed to the City Attorney’s Office.
