A young woman who pepper-sprayed a Muslim Uber driver on the Upper East Side over the summer was indicted for a hate crime in the attack, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said.
Jennifer Guilbeault, 23, was indicted in New York State Supreme Court on two counts of assault as a hate crime and aggravated harassment for the unprovoked July 31 attack near Lexington Avenue and East 66th Street, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg said in a statement.
“Jennifer Guilbeault senselessly assaulted a Muslim Uber driver while he was just doing his job,” Bragg said. “The victim is a hardworking New Yorker who should not have to face this type of hate because of his identity.”
The driver, Shohel Mahmud, later claimed that Guilbeault launched her assault simply because of his skin color.
“Her friend, she is yelling, ‘Jen, Jen, what the f–k, what are you doing? What’s going on?’” Mahmud told The Post days after the attack. “Her friend is asking ‘Why did you do that?’ And she say, ‘He’s brown.’”
Guilbeault was riding in the backseat with the other woman at around 12:15 a.m. when she suddenly sprayed the noxious substance in the 45-year-old driver’s eyes, according to video circulating on various social media sites.
Mahmud said he hadn’t spoken to the women when he picked them up in Midtown.
“They are talking to each other,” he said. “I’m not talking to them, my job is to drive them. I start going straight down the Central Park Traverse, straight down to 65th and Lexington. Suddenly, this girl for no reason spray me with pepper spray.”
Bragg said Guilbeault ambushed her driver when he began praying in Arabic just as he approached a red light.
Mahmud jumped out of the car — he thought the women were trying to rob him and his vehicle.
But the car crept along without him, so he hopped back inside — and Guilbeault sprayed him again.
“I mean this is totally ridiculous,” added the father-of-three from Elmhurst, Queens. “I do nothing and she spray me. Pepper spray is illegal. She assault a driver for no reason. This is a hate crime.”
Cops arrested Guilbeault at the scene, but only gave her a desk ticket at first.
Her attorney said the incident shouldn’t be charged as a hate crime.
“Ms. Guilbeault was not motivated by race, religion, national origin, or any other discriminatory factor,” Michael J. Alber said in a statement.
“This case needs to be looked at with all surrounding circumstances which include assessing all of the evidence and lack of evidence,” he added. “We look forward to working with the District Attorney’s office to fully vet all of the facts in the proper forum, which does not embellish or exaggerate the claims, especially where the integrity and credibility of claims can properly be tested.
Her next court date is Jan. 13.
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