Overview

• Hadasa Bozakkaravani, 48, has been arrested on hate crime charges after a video of her throwing hot coffee at Ashish Prashar, 40, and his 18-month-old son in a Brooklyn playground went viral.
• Prashar, who was wearing a traditional Palestinian scarf known as a keffiyeh, claims Bozakkaravani hurled Islamophobic abuse at him and his son, calling them terrorists.
• Bozakkaravani is facing nine charges, including four separate hate crime charges. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges and was released on her own recognizance.
• The incident comes amid a significant increase in hate crimes in New York City, particularly anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish incidents, in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war.
• Bozakkaravani is due back in court on January 24.