Man busted for Midtown attack on Asian woman was on parole for killing his mom
The man busted for the hate-fueled attack on an Asian woman in Midtown was out on parole for killing his own mother back in 2002, authorities said Wednesday.
Brandon Elliot, 38, who lives in a nearby hotel that serves as a homeless shelter, was arrested early Wednesday and hit with a number of charges, including assault as a hate crime and attempted assault as a hate crime, police said.
He was caught on video mercilessly punching and kicking the 65-year-old victim in front of an apartment building at 360 West 43rd Street around 11:40 a.m. Monday, yelling “F–k you, you don’t belong here,” according to cops and police sources.
In April 2002, Elliot was charged with murder for using a kitchen knife to stab his mother, Bridget Johnson in the chest three times in their East 224th Street home in the Bronx, according to previous reports.
The deadly attack took place in front of Elliot’s 5-year-old sister, sources told The Post. It’s unclear what led to the slaying.
Johnson, 42, died a couple of days later.
Elliot was convicted of murder and sentenced to 15 years-to-life in prison.
He was denied parole twice — first at a February 2017 hearing and again in December 2018, according to a state Department of Corrections official.
But the following year, he was approved for release in September and sprung on lifetime parole two months later.
The Bronx District Attorney’s Office didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking more details on the murder case.
Elliot’s rap sheet also includes an arrest for allegedly robbing his mother in July 2000, sources said. The pair had gotten into a squabble over money — when he allegedly yanked jewelry from her neck and choked her, the sources added.
The broad daylight beatdown on Monday stoked outrage after the surveillance footage showed witnesses — including building workers — doing nothing to intervene.
One of the building employees even appears to shut the door to the building as the attacker flees.
The victim, Vilma Kari, was on her way to church when, unprovoked, Elliot allegedly kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying to the ground and stomped on her head several times as she lay on the sidewalk.
He shouted anti-Asian slurs at her and sneered, “You don’t belong here” before walking away.
Staff members at 360 West 43rd Street were suspended over their apparent inaction.
Kari suffered a broken pelvis and was taken to the hospital. She was released the next day.
Kari is Filipino American, according to Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez.
Elliot is expected to be arraigned in Manhattan criminal court sometime on Wednesday.
A resident at the Four Points by Sheraton — the West 40th Street homeless shelter where Elliot was staying during the alleged attack — said he knew the brute well after spending time with him at another shelter.
“He told me he was [a] diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic,” the man, who declined to give his name, told The Post. “He’s quiet. He doesn’t talk much. He is really paranoid. He has mental issues.”
Elliot’s latest bust comes in the wake of a surge of attacks against Asian victims in New York City and elsewhere.
The NYPD has recorded a 1,300-percent increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea tweeted the news of Elliot’s arrest.
“Great work by your @NYPDDetectives, identifying & apprehending the assailant, all within 48 hrs — always seeking justice for victims,” he wrote.
During an appearance Wednesday morning on PIX 11, the top cop was asked whether Elliot should’ve been out on parole — a question he deferred to the parole board.
“When you’re releasing people from prison and you’re putting them in homeless shelters, you’re asking for trouble,” he said.
“There’s got to be a safety net and there’s got to be resources for them. “It just never should’ve happened.”
News of Elliot’s release on parole prompted city union heads, including Detectives’ Endowment Association President Paul DiGiacomo, to blame local officials.
“When New York politicians and their parole board think it’s a good idea to release a murderer who killed his mother — they certainly can’t pretend to be surprised he brutally attacked a woman in Midtown,” he said. “It’s about time the City Council, State Assembly, and Governor be held accountable for their irresponsible laws and decisions. New Yorkers are clearly not safe because of them. They need to fix what they broke.”
Lieutenants Benevolent Association President Lou Turco added: “You can’t make it up. Do we need any more proof that the failed policies of our elected officials are leading to more New Yorkers being injured and killed? When are we going to hold our elected leaders accountable? Reimagine elected officials.”
Additional reporting by Larry Celona, Lorena Mongelli, and Tina Moore
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