Passenger who sprayed Uber driver with pepper spray for no reason charged with hate crime: DA

A young woman who pepper-sprayed a Muslim Uber driver on the Upper East Side over the summer has been charged with a hate crime in the attack, the Manhattan district attorney's office said.

Jennifer Guilbeault, 23, was charged in New York State Supreme Court with two counts of assault as a hate crime and aggravated harassment for the July 31 unprovoked attack near Lexington Avenue and East 66th Street, the Manhattan district attorney said , Alvin Bragg, in a statement.

“Jennifer Guilbeault senselessly attacked a Muslim Uber driver while he was doing his job,” Bragg said. “The victim is a hard-working New Yorker who should not be subjected to this type of hate because of who he is.”

The driver, Shohel Mahmud, later claimed that Guilbeault had launched their attack simply because of his skin color.

“Her friend is screaming, 'Jen, Jen, what the fuck, what are you doing?' What's going on?'” Mahmud told the Post a few days after the attack. “Her friend asks, 'Why did you do that?' And she says, 'He's brown.'”

Guilbeault was sitting in the back seat with the other woman around 12:15 p.m. when she suddenly sprayed the harmful substance in the eyes of the 45-year-old driver, according to a video circulating on various social media sites.

Mahmud said he did not speak to the women when he picked them up in Midtown.

“They talk to each other,” he said. “I don’t talk to them, my job is to drive them. I go straight down Central Park Traverse, straight down to 65th and Lexington. All of a sudden this girl pepper sprays me for no reason.”

Bragg said Guilbeault ambushed her driver when he began praying in Arabic as he approached a red light.

Mahmud jumped out of the car – he thought the women wanted to rob him and his vehicle.

But the car crawled along without him, so he jumped back in – and Guilbeault sprayed him again.

“I mean, this is completely ridiculous,” added the father of three from Elmhurst, Queens. “I do nothing and she sprays me. Pepper spray is illegal. She attacks a driver for no reason. This is a hate crime.”

Police officers arrested Guilbeault at the scene, but initially only gave her a ticket.

Her lawyer said the incident should not 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 must be viewed in light of all the circumstances, including assessing all evidence and the absence of evidence,” he added. “We look forward to working with the District Attorney’s Office to fully verify all facts in the proper forum that does not sugarcoat or exaggerate the allegations, particularly where the integrity and credibility of the allegations can be properly examined.”

Her next court date is January 13th.