Westchester DA investigating assault on Korean woman as hate crime

Police say Nancy Toh was at the intersection of Westchester Avenue and Bloomingdale Road Tuesday evening when a homeless man named Glenmore Nembhard suddenly attacked her.

News 12 Staff

Mar 13, 2021, 5:49 PM

Updated 1,353 days ago

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The assault of an 83-year-old Korean woman in White Plains is under investigation by the Westchester District Attorney's Office.
Police say Nancy Toh was at the intersection of Westchester Avenue and Bloomingdale Road Tuesday evening when a homeless man named Glenmore Nembhard suddenly attacked her.
Police say he spit on Toh and punched her in the face, causing her to fall and hit her head on the ground. The impact apparently caused her to blackout. When she regained her senses, he was gone.
White Plains police say they arrested Nembhard on Thursday and charged him with assault in the second degree.
Police say the incident does not meet the threshold to classify it as a hate crime, and while they did not say why, according to reports, Nembhard has a history of violence.
District Attorney Mimi Rocah has directed her team, which specializes in hate crime and elder abuse, to investigate.
She said to News 12, "Attacks like this one impact all of us. They create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation that keeps us from feeling safe and secure in our homes and communities."
White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach said, "We condemn acts of violence and hatred and will not tolerate them in our community."
Thousands of anti-Asian incidents have been reported since the beginning of the pandemic, with many happening in New York City.
The Ardsley High School Asian Student Union will hold a rally next Saturday at Pascone Park to stand up against hate.