A Florida man is facing hate crime charges after he allegedly smashed the window of a vehicle containing three young black men while verbally attacking them with racial slurs.
The The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office (VCSO) reported that the incident was reported, on January 22, at a gas station in Osteen, before 3 pm
The victims, between the ages of 17 and 18 years old, were pouring gasoline when the suspect, identified as Richard Burnham, aged 22, became “hostile and aggressive” towards them and began expressing himself with racial slurs.
A factual report held by PEOPLE indicates that the suspect used the word “nigger” during the attack and broke the passenger window of the car with a pipe he took from his truck.
The impact also caused dents in the passenger door panels.
While the youths were trying to leave the area, the stalker chased them for at least two miles before turning off in an unknown direction.
Surveillance camera images of the establishment, where the attacker entered to buy beer, helped authorities identify him.
Burnham alleged to a detective that he was involved in a verbal altercation with the youths and who became aggressive after they allegedly hit him with a BB gun and threatened to kill him.
However, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office identified discrepancies in the man’s version.
Initially, Burnham was charged with vandalism causing $1 damage, or plus and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. But these charges were elevated to a hate crime since the suspect referred to the trio in a racist manner.
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