A 43-year-old woman has been charged with a hate crime and assault in Mountain View after attacking a teenage girl wearing a hijab and calling the young woman a “terrorist.”
The unprovoked attack by bystander Atoosa Biglari occurred in broad daylight in downtown Mountain View, Santa Clara County, where two women who witnessed the attack rushed to the victim's aid.
Police arrested Biglari, who fled the scene on a bicycle. The attacker will be arraigned Tuesday afternoon in Palo Alto County Courthouse Department 85. She faces more than a year in county jail if convicted on all three charges.
"We have no tolerance for those whose intolerance crosses the line into criminality and violence," the prosecutor said. Jeff Rosen“Hate has no place in Santa Clara County. We also commend the bravery of the two women who quickly stepped forward to help the victim. They are wonderful examples of the national anti-hate campaign motto: ‘If you see something, say something.’”
The hate crime occurred on July 1, shortly after 3 p.m., when police were dispatched to Castro and Mercy streets, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office said in a statement.
She added that the 18-year-old victim was walking alone on Castro Street when Biglari crossed the street, shouted at her, accused her of "hacking" and then called her a "terrorist," after which the attacker began pulling the victim's hijab and then pushing her against the wall and putting her hands on her neck.
The victim called for help and the two women who witnessed the attack corroborated the victim's account, stating that they saw Biglari on the road.
Biglari also faces charges of brandishing a deadly weapon in a rude, angry and threatening manner, stemming from a previous incident on June 24, 2022, in which he threatened another woman with scissors.
This publication was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.
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