SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — An Asian woman was sexually assaulted and called an ethnic slur while waiting for a morning commuter train in San Jose.
Authorities said a San Francisco man who was identified as a suspect will be arraigned on felony hate crime charges for the attack.
According to the Santa Clara County district attorney, Johan Strydom, 32, came up behind the 26-year-old victim in a pedestrian tunnel at the Diridon Station around 7 a.m. Wednesday.
He “grabbed her neck, pulled her to the ground, and tossed her side to side by her hair,” said the DA. “She landed on her back, screaming, as he dragged her while repeating the slur against Asians.”
San Jose police officers were able to arrest him minutes after witnesses and the victim’s boyfriend rushed to help her, the DA said. The attack lasted about one minute.
“This is every woman’s nightmare, and this is our community’s nightmare,” DA Rosen said. “This is also a tale of heroism. Our community came to this woman’s aid and stopped the attack. Hate crimes are not someone else’s problem. They are mine. They are yours. It will take all of us to confront them.”
Strydom faces charges of assault with an intent to commit rape and assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury.
Caltrain on Friday issued the following statements in response to the incident:
“Caltrain has zero tolerance for hate, racism, and xenophobia. Especially in our diverse region, our transit system is a place where all people should be safe. Caltrain is thankful to our Transit Police and Allied Universal, our contract security, for their swift response to this issue.”
Caltrain Board Chair and San José City Council Member, Devora ‘Dev’ Davis
“Caltrain condemns all acts perpetuating racism and anti-Asian bigotry. Our operations team is whole-heartedly dedicated to providing a safe environment and we will continue to work with the community to do so.”
Michelle Bouchard, Chief Operating Officer, Rail,
