Report: Woman charged with hate crime in pepper spray attack on UES

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The woman accused of pepper-spraying an Uber driver in an unprovoked attack on the Upper East Side is now facing a hate crime charge, according to a report by WPIX citing the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.

Jennifer Guilbeault, 23, was arraigned on hate crime charges Monday on assault and battery after authorities say she sprayed Shohel Mahmoud in the face with pepper spray, WPIX reported.

According to earlier reports, the attack occurred around 11:30 p.m. on Lexington Avenue near East 65th Street in Mahmoud's car.

A video of the attack obtained by CBS New York shows Guilbeault and a friend sitting quietly in the back seat talking on their cell phones before Guilbeault suddenly lunged forward, sprayed pepper spray in Mahmoud's eyes and grabbed him by the arm as he tried to escape.

Guilbeault can be heard saying: “Get him out of that car. Get him out. Get him out. Get him out.”

In an interview with WPIX, Mahmoud said he believed the incident was racially motivated.

According to a complaint obtained by WPIX, the attack occurred after Mahmoud began praying in Arabic at an intersection. When her friend asked Guilbeault why she attacked Mahmoud, Guilbeault allegedly replied, “He's brown.”

Following the arraignment, Guilbeault was released on supervised release, WPIX reported. She is due back in court on October 3.