Indian American 7-Eleven clerk in California becomes victim of hate crime

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A homeless man in California has been charged with a hate crime after he allegedly punched and threw hot coffee on an Indian American 7-Eleven employee, claiming that he “hated Muslims.”

According to a Fox News report, John Crain, 43, tried to walk out of the store in the middle of the night, without paying for the cup of coffee that he poured on Indian American clerk who was actually of Sikh origin.

Crain then punched the clerk and left the store.

The Sacramento Bee reported that police had been called to the same store later that day for a reported assault and spotted Crain walking away from the area.

When he was arrested, Crain told police that he threw the hot coffee at the Indian American clerk and punched him because he hated Muslims.

In a statement, CAIR-SV’s Civil Rights Attorney Saad Sweilem said, “We condemn this attack on an individual because of his faith. This hate crime represents yet another attack on our Sikh brothers and sisters fueled by Islamophobia and those emboldened by this administration’s xenophobic policies and sentiments. We welcome the hate crime charges and encourage law enforcement to continue to take these clear incidents of bias seriously.”

Crain was booked into Yuba County Jail for theft, assault and hate crimes charges, according to a Sacramento Bee report.

According to police, the victim has suffered injuries from the hot coffee and the punch he received in the face.