HOBOKEN AND BAYONNE — At 2:39 a.m. Sunday morning in Hoboken, police aided a man who was apparently knocked unconscious near First and Newark streets in Hoboken. The man and two of his friends were visiting the area from Florida.
The man’s two friends told police that they were minding their own business when a Toyota pulled up with four men inside, at least one of whom allegedly yelled anti-Asian slurs at the victim, who is Vietnamese, according to the police report. (The two friends are not Asian.) According to witnesses, one of the men in the car got out, allegedly struck the victim, got back in, and sped away.
The victim was found bleeding from his head. He woke up and said to police that “first thing I know, we were having a good time and the next thing I know my friends were standing over me trying to wake me up….. I remember nothing,” according to the report.
The victim was taken to Jersey City Medical Center to be treated.
The victim’s friends got the license plate number, which came back to a vehicle in Bayonne owned by a woman.
Subsequent investigation led to the arrest of Charles Lee of Bayonne. According to the police report, “Once at Headquarters, Mr. Lee said that he was sorry for [allegedly] punching the victim and didn’t mean for him to get hurt.”
Lee, 23, was charged with aggravated assault and bias intimidation.